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Starke County commissioners approve $6,000 for Microsoft licensing; phone‑support upgrade tabled
Summary
IT director said the county lacked required Microsoft licenses and asked commissioners to reimburse $6,000 to bring systems into compliance; commissioners approved the request and tabled a separate decision on a multi‑year phone‑support renewal pending additional cost quotes and department input.
Starke County IT supervisor Stan (Stanley) told commissioners the county had purchased incorrect or insufficient Microsoft licensing in 2016 and 2019 and that fixing the shortfall would cost about $24,000 in total. He said he already paid $15,000 and asked the commission to cover $6,000 so his budget would still cover hardware and cybersecurity through the fiscal year.
"Microsoft licensing is a horribly complicated beast that has its own certification just to understand the licensing, and it slips through the cracks," Stan said, explaining why the error had persisted. Commissioners discussed whether the county could cover the balance by transfer within existing categories or whether an additional appropriation would be required. After discussion, the board moved and voted to provide the requested $6,000 from county funds so the IT office could remain compliant for the product life (Stan estimated roughly seven years).
Stan also briefed the board on the county phone‑support renewal. He said annual maintenance is just under $10,000; the five‑year prepay would total about $49,500, which he recommended as the cheapest long‑term option compared with an estimated $70,000 initial cost for an on‑premises replacement or $25,000–$30,000 per year for cloud alternatives. Commissioners requested more detailed replacement cost estimates and asked staff to gather quotes for on‑premises and cloud options before committing to multi‑year payment. The board voted to table the phone‑system decision to the next meeting.
Separately, Stan offered that IT could administrate some department software now managed by individual offices, including the recorder’s software. Recorder‑office staff raised questions about scope, funding (perpetuation vs. general funds), statutory authority, and whether IT would have the power to switch vendors. Commissioners agreed to table that discussion, direct staff to consult department heads, and return with clarified lines of responsibility and funding sources.
Next steps: IT will provide comparative quotes for phone replacement and cloud alternatives and return with a clearer budget impact; commissioner direction on recorder‑software administration will follow further department‑head consultation.
