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City manager flags deferred back-office upgrades and staffing requests as budget risks
Summary
City Manager Tansy and staff raised concerns about deferred investments in the city’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, CAD and other core systems; facilitators and council members discussed the need to prioritize internal services to sustain operations.
City Manager Tansy used the strategic planning retreat to flag several internal systems and budgetary practices she considers risks to long‑term service delivery, including deferred upgrades to the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and other foundational infrastructure.
Tansy said the city has delayed enterprise investments and described the ERP replacement as a foundational need. "If that project was not able to be fully funded in the last year, and it is, the city cannot operate, without, high functioning ERP system," she said, describing payroll, finance and human-resources functions that rely on an ERP. Tansy warned that under-resourcing such systems can cascade and create larger operational problems.
She also mentioned the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system for public safety as a near-term priority and said some recurring operational needs have been deferred. Council and staff discussed how department budget requests are currently processed: department requests for new positions and resources are numerous and, in Tansy’s view, the process can produce unrealistic expectations and an unhealthy dynamic when many requests cannot be funded.
Facilitators and council members discussed options for improving budget planning, including using departmental business plans, a clarified service inventory and a more structured, prioritized budget development process so the annual budget better reflects long-term service commitments. No new appropriations or budget decisions were made during the retreat.
