Northampton County delays purchase of ClearGov budgeting software pending coach and auditor review

The Northampton County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday tabled a decision on buying ClearGov budgeting software after a presentation and extended questions from commissioners.

County staff and a ClearGov representative outlined three modules — a digital budget book, personnel budgeting and capital budgeting — and presented setup and annual pricing options. The vendor described the software as able to integrate with the county’s Munis system and produce a public-facing, ADA-compliant budget book meant to reduce manual spreadsheet work. The vendor said, “The total net setup service … is $11,880” for the recommended three-module package, and listed prorated and annual costs for alternative configurations.

Commissioners raised budget and audit concerns. One commissioner asked whether the software would address the county’s recent placement on the state’s unit assistance list and recommended consulting the county’s assigned coaches before any purchase. County staff said the minimum recommended purchase is the digital budget book but that they would seek input from auditors and financial coaches. “We can always ask,” the county manager said when asked about getting auditor feedback.

After public comment urging contract negotiation and implementation details from other counties, the board voted to table the item to the next meeting so the county manager could present a vetted recommendation and bring back feedback from the coaches and the CPA.

Next steps: staff will consult the county’s financial coaches and auditors and return with a recommended option and contract details at a subsequent meeting.