County staff propose IT, GIS and HR hires as budget caps bite

Tom Ford, a county staff member presenting the 2027 budget overview, told the Grand Forks County Board of Commissioners that most departments had met the board’s 0–3% reduction request but that continued cuts would soon begin to harm services and staffing.

"Most county departments, I'm pleased to say, have met or are meeting the commission's request to reduce, their budgets by 0 to 3%," Tom Ford said, but he warned the county will face limits to further reductions. He outlined several personnel changes he said were necessary to maintain operations and compliance, including hiring an IT technician to support Tyler software upgrades, creating a new GIS coordinator position, hiring a human resources coordinator, and reclassifying an existing deputy treasurer position.

Ford said the IT request is driven mainly by recurring licensing and maintenance tied to a Tyler implementation and by increasing cybersecurity threats that require dedicated staff. "One of the biggest reasons we need to keep investing in IT is cybersecurity threats," he said, listing ransomware, credential theft and vendor compromises as drivers of the need.

On GIS, Ford told commissioners the county’s mapping and parcel systems are "outdated" and that a dedicated GIS coordinator would serve as an authoritative resource for parcels, roads, addresses, emergency response and infrastructure planning. He said an intern had been hired for cleanup work but that was only a temporary fix.

Ford described the HR capacity problem in straightforward terms: the county employs "more than 360 people" but operates with roughly two HR staff, including the HR director. He proposed hiring an HR coordinator to absorb routine administrative work so the director could focus on policy, job‑class reviews and pay‑for‑performance planning.

On personnel classification, Ford asked the board to reclassify Laurie Morgan’s position to better reflect duties she already performs as a second‑in‑command for Miss Morstead (finance/tax office). He emphasized the reclassification would not add headcount but would adjust compensation and internal responsibilities.

The commissioners asked for follow‑up materials and cost details; Ford said detailed spreadsheets and matrices had been provided to the board. He also said the youth assessment center staffing model had been discussed with partners and that converting part‑time positions to six additional full‑time equivalents was estimated at about $390,000, with some offsetting part‑time savings. The exact net annual impact on the general fund was not clearly stated in the presentation and was identified by staff as an item for later clarification.

The board did not take a final vote on any of the staffing requests during the session; staff were asked to provide more detailed cost breakdowns and to return with additional information at a future meeting.