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Hamilton County ISSD Board approves using Non‑Reverting Fund to purchase servers amid sharp hardware price increases
Summary
Facing steep market price increases, the ISSD Board approved depleting the Non‑Reverting Fund to buy servers now and will seek additional Council funding; the transcript lists the motion and approval but does not specify vote tallies or dollar amounts.
The Hamilton County Information Services and Systems Division (ISSD) Board on April 21 approved using the county’s Non‑Reverting Fund to purchase servers, a move staff said was necessary to avoid sharply higher market prices.
Chris Mertens, the county’s IT director, told the board that hardware prices have risen dramatically—he said some items have increased by more than 100%—because large data‑center buildouts are consuming supply. To mitigate the spike, Mertens said ISSD made early purchases of laptops, desktops and storage and prioritized critical systems. He asked the board to authorize using the Non‑Reverting Fund to complete a server purchase that would deplete that balance; he told members he plans to ask the County Council for additional funding to cover the remainder of the cost.
Amy Massillamany moved to approve the request and Chad Knecht seconded; the board “voted in favor,” according to the meeting record. The transcript does not list individual vote tallies or the dollar amount for the server purchase, and those figures were not specified in board discussion. The minutes show the board discussed vendor flexibility—historically using Dell but now considering HP and Lenovo—and said a new storage vendor was selected for cost efficiency.
Mertens also cautioned that unpredictable hardware costs complicate multi‑year budgeting; he identified future needs such as backup systems and firewall replacements and stated current backup and recovery systems are expected to remain adequate through 2028. Board members discussed extending device refresh cycles and prioritizing critical equipment if supply pressures persist.
The board did not record a specific dollar figure or vote breakdown in the transcript; Mertens is scheduled to present to the County Council to request supplemental funding.
Next steps: staff will proceed with the server purchase under the Non‑Reverting Fund authorization and seek Council funding to replenish or cover additional costs.
