Commissioners debate OpenGov rollout amid payroll concerns

Delaware County commissioners on June 15 debated whether to move forward with adopting the OpenGov platform after staff circulated feedback from other jurisdictions showing mixed experiences. Tommy H., representing the county highway department, told the board that some counties dropped the product after implementation problems and data-entry duplication while field crews in other counties found value in asset documentation features.

Commissioner Brand said the auditor’s office has been funding OpenGov with American Rescue Plan Act money and that the auditor’s budget would absorb ongoing costs if the county proceeded. Commissioner Henry and others raised more immediate concerns about payroll — specifically the county’s lack of a two-signature payroll signoff — and said they would not support OpenGov until payroll security and the two-step approval process are functioning.

"Until our payroll issues get worked out, which they're not, I'm not voting to approve this," Commissioner Henry said, calling payroll the county's highest priority. Staff responded that a two-step requirement would be turned on and training materials and videos have been prepared for departments.

The discussion included questions about whether OpenGov would duplicate existing systems such as a phaser road-rating program and in-house GPS and pothole-reporting tools the county already uses. Staff described OpenGov as modular — permitting and asset modules can be adopted separately — and said some other jurisdictions use portions of the product (for example, an asset module) without adopting the whole suite.

No final procurement decision was made at the meeting. Commissioners voted on related procedural motions recorded in the minutes to advance continued review and to table final action pending resolution of payroll-signoff and additional departmental feedback.