Dalton Morrison, Carroll County IT director, told supervisors the IT department submitted two FY27 budget scenarios: one that adds a full-time employee at about $50,000 a year and one that maintains current staffing.

Dalton said the extra position would provide coverage when multiple departments require support and reduce dependence on remote contractors. “I just want more depth,” he said, explaining that existing staff cannot reliably cover simultaneous department needs. He described frequent on-call obligations and recounted working on a county cyber-incident while on vacation.

Dalton also told the board the county received an unexpectedly high Tyler Systems invoice. “I prepared for, like, a $90,000 Tyler bill this year...we got that bill last week. It was, like, almost a $110,000,” he said, describing roughly a $20,000 increase over his expectation. He said ISAC is exploring ways to staff support for Tyler, which could reduce future local support costs.

Supervisors discussed alternatives — contractors, part-time hires, and internships — noting cost and training trade-offs. Dalton said contractors can be significantly more expensive hourly and interns often lack sufficient skills; he favors hiring a junior candidate who can be trained locally. The board asked staff to place Dalton’s staffing request on the Jan. 20 agenda for fuller consideration alongside other personnel requests.

What’s next: Dalton’s staffing request will be considered on Jan. 20; the board asked for additional information on cost alternatives and candidate availability before making a decision.