The Wallowa County Board of Commissioners on July 14 approved the sheriff's office request to purchase and implement Tyler CivilServe, a records and case-management platform, and authorized staff to proceed with the contract as listed on the agenda. Commissioner Clayton moved approval and Commissioner Kimball seconded; the motion passed 2-0.

The sheriff's office presenter, Jamie, told commissioners the county would use the software in full and asked for authorization to use payroll funds if needed to cover year-one implementation costs. "We will be using it to its full capacity and submitting that transmittal," Jamie said, referring to how the module will feed accounting transactions.

Why it matters: commissioners flagged that the purchase is structured as a shared implementation with Columbia County and that Wallowa's initial share is roughly $44,906 for the first year, with recurring costs of about $25,900 in year two and thereafter. Commissioner Clayton said he felt the county should avoid a premature budget amendment if savings elsewhere can cover the first-year cost, but warned that if Columbia County does not participate Wallowa's share could rise. "My concern is that if their board does not resolve to adopt this system, then we would be ... stuck with the full cost," Commissioner Clayton said.

Implementation and budget: Jamie said Columbia County was waiting on Wallowa County's approval and that Tyler would need to clarify how removal of a partner would change pricing; commissioners noted the county could use payroll savings now and absorb recurring costs in the 2026 budget. The county aims to have the product implemented by September to avoid service disruption.

Decision vs. next steps: the board's vote approved the purchase; commissioners directed staff to proceed while monitoring Columbia County's participation and to defer a formal budget amendment until later in the year if possible. Jamie and IT staff will work with Tyler to confirm final pricing if Columbia County does not sign on.

Background: Commissioners referenced prior internal reviews and IT input from Chad Goodhue. The software purchase appeared as Proposal 2025-07-14 (Sheriff's Office) on the agenda.

Ending: The board approved the purchase 2-0 and asked staff to return with clarifications on partner participation, final contract language and any required budget adjustments.