City IT services criticized as outages and funding requests raise concerns

The Common Council Meeting held on April 21, 2025, in Greenwood, Indiana, focused on significant concerns regarding the city's IT services and network infrastructure. A key topic of discussion was a request for an additional $100,000 in funding to replace outdated network switches, which have been linked to ongoing service outages experienced over the past eight months.

During the meeting, a former city network and systems administrator raised alarms about the performance of Exos, the current IT provider. He highlighted that the city has faced unprecedented outages since Exos took over, contrasting this with his 25 years of experience managing the city's IT systems without similar issues. He suggested that the recent outages could be attributed to either a cyber breach or mismanagement by Exos, as the servers are relatively new and should not be failing at this rate.

The former administrator pointed out that the city's IT budget has nearly doubled since outsourcing began, increasing from approximately $720,000 to nearly $1.4 million in 2024. Despite this significant financial investment, he argued that the quality of service has not improved, stating that citizens are receiving less value for their money. He urged the council to reconsider their partnership with Exos, especially as their contract is nearing renewal.

Additionally, he noted that the San Pedro payment portal has been down for nearly two weeks, preventing citizens from accessing their accounts or paying bills online. This disruption raises concerns about the overall reliability of the city's IT services and the impact on residents.

The meeting underscored the urgent need for the council to evaluate the effectiveness of their current IT provider and consider alternatives to ensure better service for the community.