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Finance director aims to streamline Tyler system use and modernize business-license and payment systems
Summary
Finance Director (Giddens) told the council the finance team will expand use of the city's Tyler system for budgeting and purchasing, pursue improved online business-license (B&O) processes and explore reducing credit-card processing fees charged to customers.
Finance Director Giddens told council members the finance department will expand use of the Tyler municipal software to support position budgeting, purchase-order encumbrance and better procurement workflows.
“When I came, we were using a separate software and it cost about $50,000. We cut that off to just use, but we're not still fully using it as far as the development goes,” Giddens said, noting current reliance on Excel and the need to reduce single-person knowledge dependencies.
Giddens said staff will train more employees to use Tyler’s budgeting and purchase-order modules so routine tasks are less siloed and so the city can encumber funds automatically when a PO is issued. He also told the council the city will propose procurement policies and training to decentralize purchasing responsibility from a single contracts manager.
On the business-license side, council heard that the existing business and occupation (B&O) filing system is cumbersome. Giddens and council members said in-person or mailed forms remain common and that the city is evaluating either upgrades with the current vendor or replacement vendors to allow online filing and reminder notices to taxpayers.
Giddens said finance will also review credit-card processors used by enterprise funds such as utilities to try to reduce or eliminate the per-transaction fee citizens pay when using a card. He said staff had seen potential vendor options discussed at a finance officers conference but gave no guarantee of immediate savings.
The presentation included no formal motions or budget reallocations; finance staff said they will return with policy proposals and potential technology options for the council’s consideration.
