Bowie plans IT hires, smart‑cities work and cybersecurity testing in FY2026 budget
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Summary
The IT department’s FY2026 budget includes three new positions for network security, cloud data analysis and digital transformation, continued smart‑city work, and planned cybersecurity testing and network upgrades.
City staff presented the Information Technology department’s FY2026 objectives and requested positions to support cybersecurity, cloud data and a digital transformation program. The City Manager described the IT department’s role in providing technology services across city departments and highlighted the growth of demand for IT services.
The budget documents propose adding three positions: a Network Security Administrator (grade X116), a Cloud Data Analyst (grade X118) and a Digital Transformation Coordinator (grade X116). The City Manager described these roles in plain language: the Network Security Administrator will monitor networks and run security checks; the Cloud Data Analyst will gather and analyze cloud-based data to improve services; and the Digital Transformation Coordinator will guide departments through adopting better digital tools.
Objectives the department said it would pursue include completing phase 2 of the smart‑cities initiative (phase 1 framework and policies were developed in November 2024), researching single sign-on versus identity and access management for cloud applications by December 2025, upgrading core network appliances by May 2026, and completing penetration testing and a cybersecurity risk assessment by December 2025.
Staff reported that IT headcount would grow from 19 to 22 positions if the hires are approved and presented budget line items including salaries and wages ($2,095,000), fringe benefits ($661,800), software licensing and cloud subscriptions, and replacement hardware expenditures. The City Manager warned that hiring these specialized roles may require broad recruiting because candidates are hard to find.
Council members discussed operational items such as consolidating software usage (encouraging wider use of Microsoft 365 functionality to reduce smaller package subscriptions) and the potential for internships. The City Manager cautioned that interns require staff training time and recommended coordinating internship requirements with academic partners so interns can “hit the ground running.” Council asked about the timetable for switching to a .gov domain; staff said they are targeting January 2026 to complete the migration and will ensure the objective is included in next year’s objectives.
Ending: The IT department is seeking three specialized hires and will continue work on smart‑cities implementation and cybersecurity testing; council asked staff to include the .gov domain migration in next-year objectives and explore internship partnerships.
