Workday go-live complicates spending timetable; social services warns of payment delays

The county's transition to Workday and the timing of the final budget adoption complicate when the county can legally and operationally make payments, the Auditor-Controller and department heads warned during the Oct. 1 meeting.

Social Services Director Rachel Dillman Parsons told the board that, while state and federal funding remains available, the county cannot legally release spending authority for department expenses—payroll, vendor invoices, payments for housing and homelessness programs—until the board passes either a budget or an interim appropriations resolution, and the Auditor-Controller has processed the information in Workday.

The Auditor-Controller's office said staff would need roughly 8 to 12 hours after the meeting's final decisions to update the new system and be ready to process payments. "Once all the changes are finalized after this meeting, my staff's gonna need about 8 to 12 hours to get the system updated and ready to go," the auditor's representative said. The auditor added that the prior-year adopted budget can be used for eligible payments under Government Code section 29124 if a final budget is not adopted, but some categories (capital assets, transfers out, and new permanent positions) require explicit board approval.

Board members asked the auditor and CAO's office to prioritize the technical updates so departments that rely on timely payments—rent assistance, court-ordered placements and other social services—do not face undue disruption. The board planned a short recess to let staff reconcile last-minute changes before final action.