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IT asks for two developers as backlog persists; proposes parcel-fabric GIS conversion
Summary
Information Technology Director Bill Horning requested two additional staff positions to split development and support work, cited a multi-year backlog of departmental requests, and proposed a $58,600 consulting expense to convert county parcel data to ArcGIS parcel fabric.
Bill Horning, director of Johnson County Information Technology, told the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 7 that his department requests two additional positions — a developer and a support specialist — to complete a backlog of departmental technology requests and to speed delivery on projects such as an electronic general assistance application and Workday implementation support.
Horning said the development backlog has been reduced from the highest levels but remains significant, with roughly 90–100 outstanding items. He argued that separating development work (new code and applications) from support (maintaining systems and answering help requests) reduces turnover and improves throughput; he asked the board to consider funding two positions and to authorize pay roughly at the midpoint of established grade ranges.
The nut graf: IT seeks modest staff increases and a one-time consulting conversion to modernize parcel data; the requests are positioned as investments to reduce a multi-year backlog and to support countywide digital services.
Horning described the department’s shift to agile development cycles (two-week “sprints”) to deliver incremental features for departments and to reduce costly rework. He noted that staff turnover and unclear initial requirements historically prolonged projects. “We have a list of items from departments of things that they've requested from us that are … in the 90 to a hundred range of items,” he said. He told supervisors that more staff would allow the team to revisit older requests and complete work that has been deprioritized.
On technology spending, Horning proposed a countywide GIS upgrade: moving from a polygon-based parcel system to an ArcGIS parcel fabric. He said the conversion requires outside assistance and requested an additional $58,600 to hire a consultant to perform the data conversion; ongoing licensing costs would be modest. He also asked for an increase of $7,000 in training funds to expand professional development for GIS and developer staff.
Horning said the county has pursued cost savings by co-building fiber with partners such as the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Coralville and the Iowa DOT and that the IT department has been saving for large replacements such as camera and in‑car video systems. He noted one software specialist expects to retire in late 2025 and that he is planning his own retirement for spring or summer 2026, and said he will coordinate succession planning.
Ending: Horning left the requests as decision-package items for FY2026 and said he will work with HR on recruitment and pay-band guidance; supervisors did not vote during the session and will address the requests during the budget process.
