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Information Network of Kansas explains payment processing, contracts and grant program to committee
Summary
The Information Network of Kansas (Ink) briefed the committee that it operates payment processing and dozens of public-facing services for state and local governments, processes roughly $580–$615 million a year, and uses a revenue-sharing model with its network manager to fund grants and no-cost projects.
Murray McGee, executive director of the Information Network of Kansas (Ink), briefed the Joint Committee on Information Technology about the quasi‑governmental entity’s services, governance and contracts.
Scope of services and customers McGee said Ink provides about 1,300 services and applications and processes roughly $580–$615 million annually for state and local government clients. He told the committee Ink serves 45 state agencies, 71 cities, all 105 counties, 51 school districts and multiple university campuses. The agency’s largest partner is the Department of Revenue; Ink provides motor‑vehicle appointment scheduling, payment processing and other public-facing tools.
Business model and governance Ink is a self-funded quasi-governmental corporation created by statute and governed by a board of directors (appointed by the governor) that includes representatives from rural water, the bar association, counties, libraries and state agencies. Ink contracts with Kansas Information Consortium (KIC), which provides network-manager and technical services; KIC’s parent company was acquired by Tyler Technologies in 2021. Ink said the network’s operating model is financed through payment-processing fees, subscriber fees and revenue shares with the network manager.
Grants and no-cost services Ink maintains a grant program funded from operating revenue and has awarded roughly $10 million in grants since 2002 for projects that expand public information access; recent recipients include Department of Revenue property-evaluation portals and the State Historical Society’s memory.gov site. The Ink director said the organization sometimes builds websites at no cost to an agency when downstream payment processing or other fee-based services will provide operating revenue.
Questions from committee members covered financial controls, audits, vendor selection and security. McGee said Ink’s financials are audited by a third party, and that OITS and other agencies review project security and technical compliance. He also said Ink is reviewing its business model to consider multiple technical vendors rather than a single contracted network manager in the future.
Ending: The committee asked Ink to follow up with the board’s statutory reporting schedule and to provide contract details and auditing materials on board request.
