County staff: ERP data conversion delays keep fiscal-year 2025 open; auditors to be contacted for timeline

County administration and finance staff told the McLean County Executive Committee that incomplete data conversion from the county's legacy financial system to the new ERP implementation has delayed final closing of fiscal year 2025.

Mr. Nelson, presenting the administration's first pass at a restructured monthly report aligned to the board's strategic plan, said capital-asset data has not yet been converted from the old system into the new system, and that limitation prevents officials from completing the FY2025 close. He told members the inability to close FY2025 keeps that year open for entry and can create error-prone adjustments as staff reject and re-submit entries tied to the older year while departments enter new budget work for FY2027.

When asked for an idealized timeline for closing FY2025, staff said the auditor has final authority to close the books and that CLA (the outside accounting firm) was working through outstanding adjustments. Members requested a specific follow-up; Mr. Nelson said he and staff would reach out to the auditor and share a timeline by Thursday so the committee has clearer expectations ahead of the board meeting.

Committee members also noted a list of 12 open items assigned to the auditor, with some items dated back to February; staff agreed to continue listing these outstanding auditor items in the monthly report at the committee's request.

Direct quote from the meeting: "I will say that Mr. Grant and Kathy Drier did a great job in presenting budget training," Mr. Nelson said, describing recent budget training and the interim workarounds provided to department heads so budget entry could continue while two fiscal years remain open in the system.

The committee did not take formal action on the ERP timeline during the meeting; members asked staff to produce follow-up information and a timeline from the auditor.