Council asked to increase revolving loan ceiling to finish Workday implementation

City finance and central staff briefed the Select Budget Committee July 16 on a request to amend an earlier interfund loan and increase the budget for the Human Capital Management System (HCMS), commonly called Workday.

The request, embodied in council bill CB121033, would raise the previously authorized revolving interfund loan ceiling from $11,000,000 to $13,200,000 and change the borrowing fund for the loan, with repayment planned from a 2026 LTGO bond issuance. Director Jamie Carnell said the initial loan had been fully drawn and repaid; the project now needs the higher ceiling to cover remaining implementation costs and bring the system to wide operational stability.

Why the increase: Carnell described the remaining work as final implementation tasks that include additional system implementer consulting, payroll stabilization and the specialized configuration work required by the city’s complex payroll, scheduling and departmental timekeeping needs. She said the increase will let the city finish configurations, pay implementers and support additional training and help desk resources as departments transition to the new system.

Staff review and next steps Council central staff said the proposal had been reviewed by the city’s debt management advisory body and staff had no concerns with the technical debt implications. The committee asked the finance director for a more detailed accounting of outstanding tasks and consultant uses; Carnell committed to providing that detail at the next committee meeting.

Ending note No vote was taken at the July 16 briefing. Central staff said the bill would return for committee consideration with more granular information about implementation tasks and remaining consultant work.