Larimer County commissioners ratify emergency approval of Equifax benefits-verification contract

Larimer County commissioners voted 2-0 Thursday to ratify an emergency June 30 approval of a state human services contract allowing the county to keep using Equifax's The Work Number to verify income and employment for public-benefits applicants. The special meeting reapproved signatures made just before a fiscal-year deadline so Larimer County could remain in the statewide arrangement for July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The county's share of the fixed-price contract is $458,075.

Human Services Director Heather O'Hare said the agreement had to be signed by midnight June 30 because the new fiscal year began July 1 and a failure to sign would have jeopardized the broader statewide program. She said the contract links Larimer County to a state master agreement with Equifax that counties use to check eligibility for programs including Medicaid, SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. O'Hare said the state-negotiated arrangement is especially important because it offers unlimited use of the tool, unlike prior contracts that charged per use.

"The use of the unlimited tool is really crucial for cost savings," O'Hare said, adding that the county expects income checks to become more frequent as program changes take effect and application volumes may rise.

O'Hare said the emergency arose because the state initiated the contract in DocuSign without settings Larimer County needs to route and track the document through its normal local review process. She said county staff have since added outside tracking and drafted instructions for state departments on the required DocuSign settings to avoid another last-minute scramble. O'Hare also said she was frustrated that state staff relied on email during the problem and did not call her directly before contacting Commissioner John Kefalas.

Kefalas said he received a call at about 4 o'clock Tuesday from Kyle Zinth, the State Board of Human Services administrator, because of Kefalas' role on that board. He said he then contacted county staff, and the county was able to secure the chair's signature and clerk's attestation in time to send the paperwork back to the state before the deadline. Kefalas said the urgency was tied both to the July 1 start of the fiscal year and to making sure the county did not disrupt benefit verification for residents.

The contract, listed as Item 1 on the special meeting agenda, is an intergovernmental agreement between the Colorado Department of Human Services and Larimer County, with the state acting as a pass-through entity for county use of The Work Number. Under the agreement, Equifax bills the state and the state bills counties monthly. The statewide annual subscription totals $10,689,855.00 and includes unlimited annual transactions.