DOA seeks $14.3M to shore up staffing, modernize procurement and speed hiring in FY2027 budget hearing

Winners and losers in government operations often hinge on the systems behind the scenes, Department of Administration Director Edward Byrne told the Committee on Finance and Government Operations on May 7 as he defended DOAbudget request.

"Department of Administration is at the heart of government," Byrne said, asking lawmakers to weigh the costs of under-resourcing DOAagainst the consequences for audits, grant compliance and payroll processing. The agency formalized a FY2027 operating request of about $14.3 million, up from an earlier $13.5 million ask, to fund new hires and operating costs tied to recruitment, procurement and financial systems.

Why it matters: DOA manages the governmentfinances and systems that touch every agency: accounting for more than $1.3 billion in local funds and roughly $600 million in federal funds, running payroll for about 3,500 employees, and operating the GFMIS accounting platform that consolidates those records. Lawmakers said they will follow up on audit findings and procedural gaps identified in the FY2024 audit.

What DOA proposed and why

DOA outlined four near-term priorities it said require staffing and operating funds:

- Finish and expand GFMIS modules: DOA plans to roll out a grants-management module and a recruitment module this month, and to add procurement, surplus management and tender modules that connect directly to accounting records. Byrne said tighter integration will reduce manual intervention and accelerate invoice…