Committee hears update on Syracuse payroll modernization, $900,000 capital request

Syracuse City finance and project staff updated the City Council committee on an ongoing payroll modernization effort that officials say is intended to replace decades-old systems and avoid a forced return to paper time sheets when current software reaches end of life.

The update covered progress rolling out digital timekeeping (Syracuse Workforce Central and Telestaff), selection of Mosaic Consulting Group to implement UKG Pro as the city—s human capital management system, and a planned $900,000 capital request to fund implementation services. Project leaders said license costs for UKG Pro, estimated at about $745,000 per year, would be an operating expense separate from the capital request.

Why it matters: project staff told the committee that parts of the city—s payroll infrastructure (AS/400 and older Kronos/Workforce Central on-premise installations) are aging and that Kronos/Workforce Central is slated for end-of-life on-premise support on March 31, 2027. Finance staff said the $900,000 would be drawn from the City Software Systems capital project (original authorization $6.5 million; $4.0 million spent; approximately $2.5 million remaining) and used for implementation services to move the city to UKG products and migrate existing Workforce Central configurations.

Project status and timeline Josh Sireson, project manager in the API office, described the intended data flow: "this is supposed to be kind of a cycle where timekeeping information goes in and out, and those systems are working together." He said the water division has been live on Workforce Central for a few weeks and many departments have been trained, are in parallel testing, or are scheduled for rollout.

Officials said the near-term goal is to have the remainder of non-public-safety departments on digital timekeeping by the end of the calendar year. Separately, the administration plans a migration of Kronos/Workforce Central and Telestaff into UKG—s Workforce Dimensions product as part of a broader UKG Pro HCM rollout; that migration is driven in part by the March 31, 2027 end-of-life date for the city—s on-premise Workforce Central instance.

Costs, procurement and funding Finance staff explained the $900,000 figure covers implementation services (Mosaic Consulting Group was selected following an RFP) and is distinct from recurring license fees. The administration—s memo, distributed to council members ahead of the meeting, estimated annual UKG license costs in the range of $745,000 per year; those license costs would be paid from operating budgets, not capital.

Commissioner of Finance (as identified in the meeting) described prior capital authorization for payroll modernization: $6.5 million initially authorized, with roughly $4.0 million spent to date and about $2.5 million remaining in the capital account from which the $900,000 would be drawn.

Risks, staffing and vendor model Committee members pressed staff on risks, prior delays and internal capacity. Officials said the administration—s evaluation favored UKG Pro in part because the UKG family of products (Workforce Central/Telestaff → Workforce Dimensions → UKG Pro) is designed to interoperate, and because UKG—s software-as-a-service licensing model includes vendor-supported maintenance that the administration said would reduce reliance on in-house AS/400 programmers or expensive external contractors.

Several councilors expressed skepticism based on years of prior attempts to modernize payroll and HR systems. One councilor observed, "it's not the product, it's what we see when we look in the mirror," stressing that internal process mapping and ownership must improve for implementation to succeed. Staff acknowledged prior delays, said much of the rollout work in the last 9–12 months has been led by internal teams rather than outside contractors, and described Mosaic as an implementation partner with municipal experience.

Operational details Project staff said the new timekeeping setup will keep managers responsible for scheduling, while employees will be able to view and (where required) approve timesheets before payroll runs. The administration described rounding and grace-period rules (seven-minute rounding referenced by staff) and said supervisors will need to approve adjustments before payroll is issued.

What the meeting did not decide The committee discussed the $900,000 capital request and the implementation approach; committee members asked questions and expressed concerns, but the transcript does not record a formal vote approving the request during this meeting. Staff said they would continue the Workforce Central rollout and return with further updates; council members suggested outside third-party liaison or oversight as a condition for building trust.

Votes and closing At the end of the meeting a motion to adjourn was moved and seconded and the meeting was adjourned; no other formal votes on the payroll modernization funding or contracts are recorded in the transcript.

Ending note Staff offered to provide periodic updates to the committee and to share reference contacts from other municipalities that have implemented UKG products and worked with Mosaic. Committee members requested further documentation (cost-benefit appendices and multi-year cost projections) as rollout continues.