Commissioners approve ClearGov digital budget-book trial; operational tool deferred to 2026

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize a five-month, prorated subscription to ClearGov's digital budget book for the auditor's office and agreed to evaluate ClearGov's broader operational tool as part of the 2026 budget cycle.

Angela, representing the Franklin County Auditor's Office, told commissioners ClearGov recommended against implementing the operational tool for only part of a year because "there's quite a bit of training that goes into it" and the vendor "did not recommend us to utilizing the operational tool just for half of the year." She said the operational tool would require about "30 to 60 days of training opportunities" and likely additional implementation time, and that the full tool would cost substantially more than the digital book alone.

On the costs, Angela described the prorated offer for the digital budget book: a $2,000 setup fee and a roughly $4,500 pro rata subscription for five months; she also said the full combined package (digital book plus operational tool) was discussed in the range of about $30,000 to $34,000 annually. "For me, we didn't budget for that," she said of the operational tool, and recommended the county "start fresh in 2026" if it chooses to adopt the larger suite.

Commissioners raised concerns about buying only part of a vendor package. One commissioner said he worried partial purchases could be a vendor strategy to "hook" the customer; another urged that if the auditor is convinced the digital book is useful, they should proceed with the purchase. Angela told the board the digital budget book portion would produce an online, searchable version of budget materials and that by Nov. 15 commissioners would be provided a link to access the proposed budget in ClearGov.

After the discussion a motion to approve the prorated subscription for the ClearGov digital budget book carried by voice vote. The board recorded that the auditor's office will proceed with the digital-book trial, provide the link by Nov. 15, and continue evaluating the operational tool for possible inclusion in the 2026 budget.