Finance panel approves five temporary positions, funding plan for multi‑year circuit court case management overhaul

The Oakland County Finance Committee approved creation of five full‑time eligible positions and set aside funding for professional services to support a planned multi‑year migration of the county’s circuit court case management system to a state‑collaborative platform.

County officials described the current system as a decades‑old mainframe that cannot meet new legal and reporting requirements. Presenters said a modernized system — part of a collaboration with the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) — would improve data consistency across counties, support required record set‑aside at the charge level, and reduce reliance on specialized third‑party mainframe support.

Scope, timeline and cost: Project leads estimated the new platform and related professional services could cost between $15 million and $20 million overall. Committee discussion said a gap‑analysis and discovery phase will occupy the coming months; staff said the work would take roughly three years and that a phased gap analysis will be completed by the end of the calendar year. Professional services and vendor work were discussed separately from staffing. Commissioner Spitz referenced a $6.5 million professional‑services allocation across fiscal years 2025–27 as part of preliminary planning.

Staffing rationale: Presenters said the five positions requested are project‑specific subject matter experts and implementation staff. “You can’t say, ‘do this major system and do your regular job’,” an IT official said; the committee was told current staff assisting the project are already overburdened and the fresh positions will permit backfill of operational duties.

Budget and funding source: Staff said the project will require use of fund balance and described the request as a strategic investment. Presenters noted potential operational savings over time — for example, reduced third‑party mainframe licensing or support that staff estimated could be roughly $300,000 per year — but they also said the project is primarily intended to meet legal requirements and modernize county operations rather than generate immediate savings.

Oversight and deliverables: The committee asked for quarterly status updates and a clear project timeline tied to the gap analysis. Staff agreed to return with periodic reports showing the budget-to‑actual trajectory and overtime/expenditure detail for affected departments.

Votes at committee: Motion to create five full‑time eligible positions for circuit court case management and to fund professional services moved by Commissioner Powell and supported by Commissioner Cavell; committee approved and forwarded to the full board. Staff said any extension beyond the three‑year sunset would require a return to the board for approval.