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Beaufort County approves multi‑year contract with Harris Govern to replace aging tax/CAMA system, 8–2 vote
Summary
After staff described vendor selection and implementation timelines, council awarded a phased contract to Harris Govern to replace the county's nearly two‑decade old CAMA/tax software; the contract passed 8–2 amid questions about readiness and implementation risk.
Beaufort County Council approved a phased, multi‑year contract award to Harris Govern on Sept. 8, 2025 to replace the county's aging property‑tax and computer‑assisted mass appraisal (CAMA) software. The vote followed staff presentations on the procurement process, vendor demonstrations and a Q&A about implementation timelines and peer implementations.
Procurement staff summarized the evaluation: of the shortlisted vendors, Harris Govern ranked first after interviews and demonstrations; the county negotiated a best‑and‑final offer and recommended the award. The county's IT director said the CAMA (assessment) module is live in several counties (Richland, Dorchester and Pickens) and that other modules (personal property, billing/collections) are expected to be live in other counties by the time Beaufort implements its multi‑module deployment.
Deputy treasurer and other offices participated in the evaluation, staff said. Council members asked about vendor experience, near‑term costs and whether any county currently used the full set of modules Beaufort plans to deploy. Staff acknowledged Beaufort would be among the first counties to use the vendor across every department simultaneously, while telling council that the assessment (CAMA) module would be implemented first and that other modules were expected to be live elsewhere by the time Beaufort reaches those phases.
Council debate included procedural and fiscal questions and expressions of both support and concern. Council member Bartholomew said he had voted against award on principle (he later recorded a 'No' on the roll); Council member Brown also recorded a 'No.' The final roll call showed the contract passed 8–2.
Implementation notes: staff said the county would schedule the assessment module implementation over roughly a one‑year timeline to coincide with an impending reassessment, and would coordinate with auditor and treasurer offices to ensure continuity. Staff also flagged that the current system is near end‑of‑life and not being actively supported by vendors.
Next steps: Contract execution and phased implementation planning with Harris Govern; staff to return with implementation milestones and budget details as required.
