Medford councilors ask finance director for plan to modernize city financial software

Medford City Council Committee of the Whole members voted to request a one-page plan from Finance Director Bob Dickinson by Sept. 30 outlining options, costs and a timeline to replace the city’s aging financial software.

The request followed a detailed review of the finance and procurement proposed fiscal 2026 budget and an extended discussion of the limits of the city’s current systems. Finance and procurement’s FY26 proposal totals $880,135—personnel $620,295 and ordinary expenses $259,840—an increase of $25,821 (about 3%) from the prior year, the council was told.

At the start of the discussion, Finance Director Bob Dickinson said, “we presently have a deficit of about a million dollars,” referring to the current preliminary gap in the overall FY26 budgets the administration is reviewing. Dickinson and councilors emphasized that fixed costs such as union contract increases, health insurance, pension funding and a rising DPW trash contract are the primary drivers of citywide budget pressure.

Why it matters: Councilors said the software question affects the city’s ability to process payroll,…