County transfers excess technology reserve after partial rugged-laptop purchase

Cowlitz County finance staff told commissioners that the information-technology reserve created for rugged laptops has excess funds after a recent purchase, and staff plan to transfer the remaining balance to the sheriff’s equipment and technology replacement fund.

Cathy Baxter, the county finance director, and Susie Moon, finance manager, said the county had accumulated nearly $500,000 in the reserve over about five years. Moon said the county spent about $150,000 on the rugged-laptop purchase and did not need some ancillary items such as vehicle mounts. She said the county used an existing Dell contract that lowered costs compared with earlier estimates.

Moon said the sheriff’s department will receive a transfer of the excess reserve into its equipment-and-technology replacement fund. The purchase also was encumbered with a purchase order of roughly $146,000, Moon said.

Commissioners asked for budget information to be available when an item is presented for formal approval so they can see how a proposed purchase will affect the fund balance before they vote. Travis, an IT staff member who was online, and Baxter said staff would provide that context when future agenda items are presented.

No formal ordinance or vote to transfer funds was taken on the record during the presentation; staff described the planned transfer and noted the encumbrance and reserve balances.