During a recent government meeting, significant concerns were raised regarding the county's IT spending and security gaps. A committee member highlighted a critical issue: the county's current budget does not adequately address essential IT security needs, including single sign-on systems and updates to operating systems. This lack of investment in new technology was described as a major gap, with previous years reflecting similar shortcomings.

The discussion emphasized the need for a more cohesive approach to IT expenditures. Currently, individual departments are managing their own technology budgets, leading to inconsistent and potentially insecure practices. One committee member criticized this decentralized approach, arguing that it creates an unmanageable system where departments may be forced to make haphazard purchases, ultimately compromising security and efficiency.

The committee plans to address these issues in the upcoming budget cycle, aiming to consolidate IT spending under a unified strategy. This would involve reallocating funds to ensure that technology investments are made collectively, rather than piecemeal by individual departments. The goal is to improve tracking of IT assets and expenditures, thereby enhancing accountability and security across the county's technology infrastructure.

Additionally, the meeting touched on a minor increase in contractual services related to Purdue Extension, which was noted as a routine budget adjustment. Overall, the discussions underscored the urgent need for a strategic overhaul of the county's IT spending practices to better safeguard its technological assets and streamline operations.