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Grosse Ile board approves ClearGov budgeting and transparency software contract
Summary
After a vendor demonstration, trustees approved a ClearGov contract to provide digital budget books, operational budgeting, and a transparency portal. Initial FY25 cost is $9,335 with a $22,800 subscription for FY26–28; implementation will be phased into the 2025–27 budget cycles.
Trustees voted Dec. 9 to contract with ClearGov for budgeting and transparency services aimed at streamlining the township’s budget process and making financial information more accessible to residents.
Teresa McLaughlin, the township finance director, introduced the recommendation and said ClearGov integrates with the township’s BS&A (BSNA) chart of accounts and will allow department managers to submit budget inputs, create interactive digital budget books, and publish project pages (for example, the toll‑bridge project) with timeline and spending updates. Michael Laporte, ClearGov senior solutions adviser, described the company’s operational budgeting tool, digital budget book, and transparency portal, including AWS hosting, unlimited user access, and client success management.
Costs and timing: The one‑time setup and prorated services for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 total $9,335. The subscription for digital budget and transparency services is $22,800, allocated across department budgets for fiscal years ending March 31, 2026–2028. ClearGov’s operational budgeting is planned to be available mid‑FY25‑26 and fully implemented for the March 31, 2027 budget process.
Board questions covered security (vendor packet describes AWS hosting and security practices), help‑desk support (ClearGov said support is US‑based, headquartered in Maynard), versioning and revision control, and how data will be pushed/pulled with BS&A. McLaughlin said the township has been updating its chart of accounts to the Michigan Uniform Chart of Accounts and expects phased implementation.
Trustees approved the service contract by voice vote. Finance staff and ClearGov will proceed with data mapping, training, and staged rollout.
