County IT director urges clearer policy on services, billing and cybersecurity for municipalities

Mike, Adams County’s IT director, urged the commissioners and municipal leaders to set clearer policies for which technology services the county must provide and how to account for and bill additional services delivered to cities and towns.

Mike told commissioners that a year-long, 92-page survey completed with the state’s Office of Technology showed the county’s IT responsibilities are broader than many neighboring jurisdictions. He said the county provides infrastructure and licensing for dispatch, law enforcement and many county departments, and that additional users (cities, towns) increase licensing and support costs.

“We need to decide what the county must provide, what towns must pay for, and how we will bill and track those costs,” Mike said. He described the accounting complexity when department-specific software and licenses are procured and said staff sometimes must issue invoices outside the county’s primary accounting workflow.

Commissioners and department heads discussed options including a separate cybersecurity budget line, interlocal cost-sharing, clearer invoicing procedures, and a county-led meeting with cities to explain baseline services and optional add-ons. Commissioner Stan Furman and Commissioner Steve said they would ask the IT committee (which includes the county attorney and sheriff) to meet with staff to produce recommendations.

Mike asked for a meeting of county IT stakeholders first to agree on what the county must provide; commissioners agreed. Mike and county staff will schedule the IT committee meeting and return with a proposed list of core services, recommended billing approach and any needed changes to departmental budgets or interlocal agreements.

No formal vote was required; commissioners directed staff to organize the committee and prepare recommendations.