Warren County Support Services Committee approves contract changes, budget transfers and vendor awards

Warren County's Support Services Committee on Monday approved a series of administrative and budget moves, including a contract amendment to remove a fixed hourly rate and several transfers to cover personnel and technology needs.

The committee voted to amend an existing services contract to remove a specified hourly rate and increase the maximum contract amount to give the county more flexibility for changing rates and emergency needs, according to a staff presentation. A staff member said the change is intended to make the contract "flexible to what we might need in the future." Members moved the item to the floor and approved it.

The committee also approved a $20,000 transfer from the reserve fund to pay for anticipated IT equipment upgrades, including RAM replacement cited in the discussion, and approved moving $3,000 from salaries to an overtime budget line after one staff retirement required temporary additional coverage. Monica, the staff member presenting several resolutions, said the overtime transfer covered extra work during onboarding and training for a replacement employee.

The board renewed a two-year bond counsel services agreement with Fitzgerald Morris Baker after the county attorney's office noted the prior contract had expired at the end of 2025. The presenter said the renewal runs Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2027, and that a two-year term reduces costs versus a one-year renewal; members noted there was no service gap while the contract lapsed and that the contract is under the county's $50,000 informal-bidding threshold.

County administration reported a transfer from contingency to pay costs associated with a recently negotiated collective bargaining agreement for sheriff's office personnel; the county administrator said officials had anticipated the amount during the budget cycle and had kept funding in a salary contingency for this purpose. The committee approved the transfer.

Two insurance-related budget items were also approved: an appropriation of $24,500 from insurance revenue to budget code A1420419 (law settlements) to cover the county's deductible for a settlement involving Timothy E. McIntyre and Brena Mallik, and an amendment to increase revenue code A14202680 (insurance recoveries) by $250,000 reported as a cyber liability recovery from the county's insurer.

Human-resources and risk staff brought two workers' compensation contract items: the committee approved awarding a pharmacy-services contract to Prodigy Care Services to provide discounted medications for workers' compensation claims after the prior vendor (AWPRX) stopped serving low-volume clients; payments will come from the workers' compensation fund and vary with injured-worker utilization. The committee also approved an award to a new workers' compensation legal services firm selected via RFP after the county's prior firm (Lumier Higgins) closed.

Officials also reported operational updates: the county went live on a new payroll system (UKG) and completed an upgrade to the property-tax system earlier in May; staff said work on an off-tax portal is ongoing and reminded members of an upcoming Finance School at the Queensbury Hotel. Traffic safety days for employees were also announced at Painted Pony with safety classes and skills challenges.

Votes were taken by voice and, where shown in the record, passed without recorded dissent. Items approved at the committee will be forwarded or implemented according to county procedure.

Votes at a glance

- Amend service contract to remove fixed hourly rate and increase maximum: approved.
- Reserve fund transfer $20,000 for IT equipment: approved.
- Transfer $3,000 from salaries to overtime: approved.
- Renew bond counsel services (Fitzgerald Morris Baker), two-year term (Jan. 1, 2026 Dec. 31, 2027): approved.
- Transfer contingency to cover negotiated sheriff's office contracts: approved.
- Move funds for state-mandated district attorney salary increase: approved.
- Appropriate $24,500 from insurance revenue for settlement deductible (McIntyre, Mallik): approved.
- Increase insurance recoveries revenue by $250,000 (cyber liability recovery): approved.
- Award Prodigy Care Services pharmacy contract for workers' compensation: approved.
- Award new workers' compensation legal services firm selected via RFP: approved.
- Amend resolution 1962 (retirement/certification authorizations): approved.

What happens next

Most items are administrative and will be implemented by county staff; several will appear on a future board agenda for final action or formalization according to county procedure. The clerk said the amended resolution text for resolution 1962 is not yet drafted and will be provided at the board meeting.

(Reporting based on Support Services Committee transcript.)