Douglas County HR seeks $241,000 over target, cites legacy software, ADA compliance and rising license fees

Karen Butch, Douglas County’s human resources director, told the county board on June 9 that her office is seeking approximately $241,000 over the target for the FY27 budget, citing legacy enterprise software, rising third‑party licensing fees and new accessibility compliance requirements.

Butch described the HR office’s dual role supporting civil service obligations and administering 30 collective‑bargaining units. She said application volumes increased from roughly 7,200 in 2023 to about 10,250 last year, increasing workload for a roughly 16‑person HR team.

Technology and licensing: Butch said the county uses legacy Oracle EBS (benefits module from 2014) and relies on several third‑party cloud modules that now cost the county materially more. She itemized recurring licensing costs the county pays or budgets for: NEOGOV applicant tracking (~$37,000), onboarding (~$28,000), eforms/workflow (~$40,000), recruiting software (~$39,000) and other learning and benefits platforms, with total licensing near $164,000 per year. She said technology costs have risen “about 31.9% since 2023.”

ADA and compliance: Butch emphasized county obligations under ADA Title II for website and digital accessibility and said the county obtained a reprieve through April of next year to meet compliance; she noted litigation around the federal extension and said the county is prioritizing those efforts.

Budget ask details: Butch said roughly $60,000–$68,000 of the $241,000 overage is to refill a position that was left vacant to balance the prior year’s budget; the rest covers technology and operations. She warned that if the board does not approve the additional funding, she may return later in the fiscal year with a surplus request since many of the rising costs (occupational health, technology licensing) are outside her direct control.

Commissioner and public input: Commissioners questioned whether the county should run an RFP or hire a consultant for an ERP/Human Capital Management selection; Butch said a prior needs analysis did not fully meet expectations but that the county purchasing department could run an RFP. A League of Women Voters speaker recommended consultants or AI tools; Butch said AI may help in some areas but legal risks around automated hiring decisions counsel caution.

What happens next: Butch said HR will continue work on ADA compliance, technology planning and procurement and will provide the board with more detailed backup if requested.

Quoted: "Our technology costs are going up...about 31.88%" and "I am asking for about $241,000 over the target that was granted," Butch said during her presentation.

Sources: presentation by Karen Butch, Human Resources Director, Douglas County; June 9, 2026 meeting record.