La Marque approves ARPA-funded HR and payroll system from NeoGov for $378,637

La Marque — The La Marque City Council voted to authorize the city manager to sign a $378,637 contract with NeoGov (doing business as governmentjobs.com) to provide human resources and payroll software, using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Council members heard a 20-minute presentation from NeoGov representative Gary Clary and city staff about the procurement, the vendor’s public‑sector focus and how the platform would integrate with OpenGov, the city’s recently selected enterprise system. “We’re gonna make sure people get paid because pretty quickly, you’re not gonna have a payroll system up and running,” Gary Clary said during the presentation.

The software purchase was prompted when the city’s prior administrative software (referred to in the meeting as STW) was discontinued. “So this started really with, STW being shut down,” Mikaela (city staff) told the council, explaining why a separate RFP for HR and payroll was issued after the OpenGov selection. Council questions focused on integration with OpenGov, lifecycle costs and whether the subscription covers ongoing updates and support. NeoGov staff said the product is updated quarterly at no additional cost and that the company provides dedicated customer support.

Councilmember questions also addressed procurement and budget oversight: council members confirmed the contract will be paid from ARPA allocations set aside earlier for software projects. Mikaela told the council the procurement had been budgeted under ARPA and that staff had vetted NeoGov through the city’s RFP process. The agenda packet included an annual breakdown of license and implementation fees; staff said year‑one costs include implementation and year two contains a discount.

Council voted in favor of the contract. No specific roll-call tallies for the final vote were read into the public record during the announcement beyond the council’s voice vote.

The contract will move forward upon final city‑attorney approval and execution by the city manager. Staff said implementation will include configuration to accept OpenGov financial data, employee self‑service for payroll and benefits, and training for city administrators and department heads.

The council discussion did include a reminder about ARPA reporting deadlines and a request from council that staff ensure that the city’s ARPA reporting partner, GrantWorks, is kept apprised of contract awards tied to the ARPA allocation.

The council’s action completes the procurement step; staff will return with a signed contract and an implementation schedule.