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IT director requests five-figure increases for software licensing and cybersecurity; justice center tech and web accessibility cited
Summary
The county’s IT director asked commissioners for a substantial increase in software-licensing and security spending tied to new systems, cloud backups, website accessibility and outfitting the new justice center, saying many existing subscriptions and compliance needs will raise costs in 2026.
San Patricio County’s IT director (first name Steven; last name not specified) presented a 2026 technology budget that emphasizes higher recurring costs for software licensing, cybersecurity, and infrastructure needed to support new county facilities.
Key requests: The IT office sought sizable increases in its software-licensing and support line (the presentation listed a requested amount of approximately $245,300 for licensing and security support and an additional request for cloud migration and backup services). The director explained the drivers: ongoing licensing for Microsoft 365, public-safety radio dispatch systems, in-car and body camera storage, the county’s financial and records systems, and a planned roll-out of cloud storage for the county’s document-management system (Laserfiche).
Website accessibility and justice center build-out: The director flagged web-accessibility compliance work as a recurring operating need because uploaded documents and PDFs must meet new accessibility standards. He also identified capital and operating needs for the new justice center: network switches, access points and monitors for staff, and upgrades to the building network and cabling. "The big ticket item... is software license support… we have to improve our security posture and backups so we don’t lose business in case of an incident," he said.
Personnel and equipment: The IT director proposed several equipment purchases, Windows 11 deployments and replacement laptops, and asked for a personnel reclassification for a senior engineer whose role has trended toward higher-level infrastructure design.
Ending: Commissioners were advised that these are recurring and capital IT costs that will be required to maintain security, compliance and operations across county systems and in the new justice center.
