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IT highlights Oracle/financial system work, cybersecurity and staffing needs as vacancies fall
Summary
The Office of Information Technology told the council FY26 operating costs rise as projects move from capital into operations, asked for two staff changes to support public safety and security, and described progress on cybersecurity after a February cyber incident without divulging sensitive details.
Anne Arundel County’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) presented its FY26 budget and told the County Council a mix of large projects and security work are driving operating costs and near‑term hiring priorities.
Chief Information Officer Jack Martin and Deputy Mike Tarquinio said OIT’s FY26 request reflects projects moving from capital to operating — notably the new Oracle financial system (described at the meeting as the county’s financial system upgrade), CAD and other platform transitions — plus inflation in software and personnel costs. Martin said two new proposed positions are in the FY26 request: a senior project manager to support public safety projects (including the Arctic/radio project) and an information‑security reclassification to increase event monitoring and vulnerability‑response capacity.
Council members asked about 12 vacant positions the auditor flagged. Martin said many vacancies existed when he took the job but that the office has actively recruited and filled several roles; he explained vacancies are being prioritized and reclassified as OIT defines the sustaining organization for modern platforms like Oracle and cloud services. Budget office staff added a turnover adjustment in the OIT budget because recent hiring reduced vacancy savings.
Councilmembers asked specifically about cybersecurity after a February cyber attack. Martin declined to discuss technical details in public and said security specifics are not appropriate for an open meeting, but he said a plan is underway, the county filled a recently requested chief information security officer role, and the FY26 request reflects efforts to bolster the security program. He offered follow‑up briefings for council members in closed sessions on security specifics.
Martin also described capital projects including Greenberry Point tower work (bid for maintenance or removal of two large towers acquired from the Navy when the county accepted the land), E‑Rate work with Anne Arundel County Public Schools (partnership to bid broadband buildout), public safety radio/backbone work and projects to replace aging systems. He said OIT is proceeding with planned platform and cloud transitions and limited AI pilot use for internal productivity tools.
No formal appropriation or personnel action occurred during the presentation; council review will follow during the overall budget process.
