Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Software topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trustees press staff for details on $12,000 Waterworth budgeting‑software proposal
Summary
Trustees questioned whether Waterworth’s $12,000‑a‑year budgeting software is the right choice for Menands, asking for peer examples, savings guarantees, and alternatives such as hiring a part‑time staffer; staff will collect more information and revisit the proposal in mid‑December.
Menands trustees used their Dec. 2 meeting to press staff for more details about a proposal to purchase Waterworth budgeting and financial‑modeling software, described in the presentation at the prior meeting.
Speaker 5 raised multiple concerns about scale and value, asking whether any similarly sized municipalities use Waterworth and whether hiring a part‑time staffer would be cheaper than “paying $12,000 a year for a software.” Speaker 6 asked whether the contract includes any guarantee that the tool would produce at least $12,000 in savings. Speaker 3, who discussed the product during the meeting, said the tool is designed to project how revenue changes and bond payments interact over time and cautioned that ‘‘I don't think there's a company in the world that's gonna guarantee you a certain amount of savings.’’
Trustees discussed common uses for the tool beyond water and sewer modeling; Speaker 3 said the software can include modules for the general fund as well as water and sewer and noted that some municipalities use it for evaluating solid‑waste costs and other fees. Staff offered to gather more information about municipalities that currently use the product and to circulate additional documentation. The board did not approve the purchase on Dec. 2; Speaker 3 said the item could be revisited on Dec. 17 or 18 after staff follow‑up.
Next steps: staff will report back with examples of peer municipalities, a clearer scope of modules to be included, and a procurement recommendation (including the option of hiring part‑time personnel), after which trustees will consider formal authorization.
