Astoria plans new finance software with $140,150 implementation cost; cybersecurity questions raised

Astoria City staff told the budget committee that the city is replacing its 14‑year‑old financial software with a new system and has budgeted implementation and licensing costs. Staff said the implementation cost is about $140,150 and that the expected annual licensing fee is roughly $48,000, which staff said is lower than the city’s current licensing costs.

Staff described a hybrid implementation plan that includes vendor immersion training in Utah for finance staff, on‑site training for department users, and vendor support to configure the system with the city’s own data. The presenter said the vendor will set up the city’s database and that the city will test with real data to ensure accounts and reports align.

Committee members raised cybersecurity and audit questions. One member asked how often the vendor and the city audit cybersecurity and whether the city monitors for suspicious activity. The presenter acknowledged cybersecurity is an ongoing concern, noted that the city has rolled out two‑factor authentication recently, and said the vendor provides documentation and internal audits; staff also noted the city received a grant last year to improve endpoint protection as part of cyber readiness.

On costs, the presenter said staff had previously evaluated other options and chose a solution judged to be customizable and cost‑effective. The presenter said the vendor’s implementation plan includes one‑on‑one work with developers and that the city expects to transition reports, grant tracking and payroll into the new system before the end of the fiscal year.