Commissioners authorize up to $3.8 million lease to upgrade county IT infrastructure and address cybersecurity gaps

Lackawanna County commissioners on May 21 approved acceptance of a proposal from M&T Bank to finance the acquisition of computer and information-technology equipment, with staff citing a financing need of up to approximately $3.8 million.

Chief Financial Officer David Bolzoni presented the measure, describing it as the final piece of a capital asset initiative begun in 2023 and emphasizing the county’s need to replace equipment that is beyond its useful life. Bolzoni said a security assessment by Hinton & Associates documented vulnerabilities and recommended equipment replacement; the full report runs more than 500 pages, he said. County staff said the total equipment acquisition cost is roughly $4,000,008.42; $1,064,009.92 of that amount was previously allocated from ARPA funds. The proposed lease structure has a stated lease payment budgeted for 2025 and a multi-year payment schedule; the transcript included a lease factor/interest figure and referenced a seven-year lease term.

Bolzoni said the equipment will be acquired from CDW and recommended approval. Commissioners who spoke in favor linked IT modernization to protecting sensitive case files in the Office of Youth and Family Services, the district attorney’s office and other departments; they noted recent local cyberattacks in neighboring agencies as context for the investment.

Commission action: the board approved the financing proposal by voice vote.

Why it matters: county officials presented the upgrades as necessary to reduce cybersecurity risk and operational downtime; financing and ARPA allocations were described as existing budgeted sources for the purchase and lease payments.

Direct quote: “This initiative also included a comprehensive cybersecurity assessment, ensuring that our systems are protected against evolving threats,” a commissioner said during discussion.