Warren County commissioners give guidance to pursue merger of IT and telecom departments

Warren County commissioners on Tuesday gave staff guidance to move forward with plans to merge the county’s information technology and telecommunications departments, saying a single department will improve cybersecurity and reduce duplication of administrative work.

The proposal, advanced by county staff and discussed in public by several countywide elected officials, would disband the longstanding data board that has overseen IT functions and place authority for the merged department under the commissioners. Officials said formal resolutions and budget consolidation steps will be brought back during the upcoming budget process.

The plan reflects decades of separate operations: the county created a data board and a telecom department about 40 years ago, with the data-processing work historically housed under the auditor’s office and telecom reporting to the commissioners. County staff and at least one consultant have recommended merging the two entities as the phone systems used by county offices have evolved into computer-based services.

"The number one most important part of IT and telecom is safety," said Matt Nolan, a county elected official who presented the plan, noting recent cyberattack activity in neighboring jurisdictions. Nolan told the board that merging the departments would reduce gaps in responsibility — "I thought they were doing that. I thought I was doing that" — that can occur when two separate units manage overlapping systems.

Gary Estes and Ben (last name not given), who worked on the merger plan, were cited by presenters as having led much of the technical design. Nolan said the effort has been under discussion for roughly 18 months and that commissioners want to consolidate budgets because "every single county budget touches IT."

Several countywide elected officials expressed conditional support but sought assurances about oversight and continuity for services that directly affect the public. Linda Oda, county recorder, and the county’s clerk of courts (name not specified) told commissioners their hesitation is not about the merger itself but about ensuring ongoing input for systems that their offices rely on for case management, public filings and other citizen-facing services.

"There is absolutely no reservation, no hesitation on our part, that we need to merge these two organizations," said the county’s Clerk of Courts, who spoke on behalf of the recorder as well. The speaker added their principal concern was maintaining a role in technology decisions that directly affect their offices.

Commissioner Young and other members of the board responded that the records commission would remain intact and that the board has historically deferred to countywide elected officials when they recommend specific software or systems. Commissioners said they plan to preserve channels for technical input, including proposed regular work sessions or an advisory group to mirror the former data-board functions.

Staff told the commissioners the microfilm board appears obsolete and likely will be eliminated as part of the administrative clean-up. Nolan said the timeline for next steps will be driven by the budget calendar: staff will present resolutions to disband the data board and create the merged department, and will combine the two departments’ budgets for the next fiscal cycle. County staff characterized that process as taking roughly three to four months to complete during the budget season.

When asked to decide whether to proceed, the board signaled a collective yes and directed staff to bring formal items back for approval. No formal ordinance or resolution was voted on during the meeting; commissioners requested additional staff work and public notices as items are prepared.

Next steps identified in the meeting include: staff drafting the resolutions necessary to disband the data board and create the merged department; consolidating the IT and telecom budgets in time for the county budget process; and setting up recurring meetings or an advisory panel so countywide elected officials and technical staff can raise needs and concerns during the transition.

The discussion drew repeated emphasis on cybersecurity. Nolan and other commissioners said consolidating responsibility under a single department should reduce "finger pointing" and close gaps that can be exploited by outside actors. Officials did not provide a dollar figure for expected savings or an exact date for when the merger would take legal effect; they said those details will be included in forthcoming staff reports and formal resolutions.