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IT director warns of cybersecurity funding gaps, asks commissioners to retain $50,000 server fund cushion
Summary
IT Director Tim Dyke presented a modest proposed increase to the 2026 IT budget, warned that federal cybersecurity services (MS-ISAC, CISA) have been defunded and recommended keeping a roughly $50,000 server fund cushion while planning needed server and networking replacements.
Tim Dyke, Columbia County's IT director, told commissioners his preliminary 2026 budget reflects capital needs and external cybersecurity funding uncertainty.
Dyke said he received notice from the state CIO that two federal cybersecurity-support organizations are facing funding loss: "One of them was defunded a while ago. The other one was completely defunded on the September 29," he said, describing the services the county relies on. He warned those changes would hit under-resourced rural governments hardest.
Dyke described the server fund, which has about $50,000 in savings from prior-year balances and interest, and said it currently yields roughly $1,000 a month in interest. He asked commissioners whether to keep the cushion in the server fund or reallocate it to general reserves; commissioners debated the ethics and prudence of keeping a dedicated buffer versus moving funds to other stiffer needs.
He described capital replacement needs: several switches and two to three servers over five years old (one server already on order) and rising hardware prices: "I used to be able to get them... for 6 to $8,000. They're up to 16," he said. Dyke also noted potential reimbursement via a cybersecurity grant (CGP) for some items and discussed Microsoft licensing and other grant-eligible purchases.
Commissioners pressed about cyber-liability insurance and how WCRG billing is allocated to the server fund. Dyke said administrative accounting differences across offices can shift line-item charges between funds. No budget decision was finalized at the meeting; Dyke said he would return with clarifications and procurement timing.
