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IT requests additional staff as committee presses for justification of $500,000 ongoing software costs
Summary
IT requested three new positions and flagged roughly $500,000 in ongoing software and hosting costs for Central Square and GSA; commissioners approved funding one IT position and asked staff to provide detailed cost allocation and history for the software maintenance expenses.
Robert Pratt, IT department head, requested three new positions (an administrative assistant and two support specialists) to reduce an unusually high user-to-staff ratio. Pratt said adding entry-level staff would free specialized staff for higher-value IT work and compliance such as CJIS separation-of-duty requirements.
Committee members resisted a doubling of IT headcount without stronger justification. One commissioner said, "doubling your staff is not gonna be accepted," and urged Rob to return with documentation showing why the additional positions are needed. Pratt and other staff also explained that recent capital software projects (Central Square and the GSA assessment/collection system) transition into recurring operational costs; Pratt estimated ongoing maintenance of roughly $200,000 (Central Square) plus $225,000 (GSA) and asked the committee to budget for those ongoing costs. Commissioners asked staff to identify whether existing department tech funds or previously budgeted software maintenance line items could absorb some costs and to document when and how those costs were transitioned into the IT operating budget.
