Budget Hearings Day 4 Part 1 (Admin. Services and Audit & Control Committees) 10/08/26

Chautauqua County’s October 8, 2026, Day 4 budget hearing for the Administrative Services and Audit & Control Committees reviewed proposed operating budgets, with no major contract awards or bid approvals identified. Information Technology reported rising support-contract, software, and hardware costs, including a stated $218,300 year-over-year local-share increase across office services, communications, IT, and GIS. The Sheriff’s records system is moving to Tyler Technologies’ cloud service, increasing maintenance costs by about $78,000; the county noted this may avoid replacing 12–15 servers estimated to cost $400,000–$500,000. A similar required cloud transition for finance and HR payroll is anticipated by 2030. Officials also cited sharply higher laptop prices, with a standard model rising from about $436 two years ago to roughly $750 recently, and a projected $1,800 under the next state contract. The county said it reviews alternatives when contracts come up for renewal, while noting the cost and disruption of replacing established systems.

The hearing also covered capital financing and revenue assumptions. Staff said the county may issue debt for capital projects, including an approximately $7 million DPF facility project and a $35 million South and Center project with a $17 million grant; short-term financing may be needed for the latter’s remaining costs. A motion was approved to reduce projected off-track betting revenue from $775,000 to $650,000 for 2027, reflecting updated projections. The budget includes $120,000 for grant-seeking services with offsetting anticipated revenue. No new procurement awards were approved; the discussions focused on budget planning, ongoing contractual costs, cloud migration, and prospective capital-project financing.