Davis County information systems director outlines flat 2026 budget, software reclassifications and a staffing plan after longtime admin announces retirement

Davis County Information Systems Director Jeff told the Budget Committee on an information systems briefing that the department’s proposed 2026 budget is slightly below this year’s actuals after organizational changes and reclassifications.

Jeff said the department’s 2025 starting baseline was approximately $9.6 million, reduced to about $9.3 million following a January reorganization; projected spending for 2026 is about $9.2 million. “We were lucky that the byproduct of that was actually to to cut some budget money, about $300,000 a year from our payroll,” Jeff said, adding that the personnel change’s intent was to align skills with responsibilities rather than to reduce headcount.

Why it matters: the briefing combined technical budget reclassifications with near-term cost pressures that will affect next year’s operating budget. Committee members asked clarifying questions about licensing, benefits, and implementation timing.

Jeff emphasized that a large part of the apparent increase in some budget categories reflects reclassification of software expenses rather than new purchases. “Please do not think that we have just bought over a million and a half dollars of software. We have just reclassified,” he said, describing how software formerly budgeted across several object codes was consolidated into a subscriptions category.

Nevertheless, Jeff identified several real cost increases the county will absorb in 2026. Those include roughly $30,000 a year in telecommunications for a standalone…