Milwaukie finance staff updated the budget committee that the city’s planned Socrata online financial transparency tool has missed earlier rollout dates.

Finance Director Michael Osborne explained the delay stems from integration and vendor delivery issues. Staff resolved secure data‑transfer parameters with the city’s ERP and IT in September but the vendor pushed the delivery timeline; the target had moved from August to mid‑November and staff set December 31 as a final deadline. Osborne said staff have given the vendor a calendar of expectations and that the city may seek repayment under contract terms if the vendor fails to meet obligations.

City Manager Emma Savore said the city prepared a contingency: if Socrata cannot be turned on by the agreed date staff will revert to producing full PDF quarterly reports by February so the public retains access to detailed financial information. Savore emphasized the need to balance efficiency with stewardship of taxpayer dollars and noted the city can publish summary data while vendor integration issues are resolved.

Councilors probed whether the vendor had misrepresented delivery timelines and whether the city should require a different technical approach (cloud vs. server‑based ERP). Staff said the city uses a server‑based ERP (Tyler Technologies) and has no immediate plan to migrate to cloud; they stressed that contract management would ensure accountability and that reporting alternatives are in place to maintain public access.

The committee accepted the update and staff said they will report back with progress and any contract remedies pursued.