Scott Swan, representing Vigo County’s information-technology office, presented several budget requests focused on user experience and equipment lifecycle replacement.
Swan said the county’s website is roughly five years old and users report difficulty finding information; he plans to work with a local developer who quoted just under $10,000 for rebuild labor and requested an additional hosting budget (about $5,000 difference between two hosting scenarios). He also described recurring telecom costs tied to three newly connected sites (group home, South Highway and another building) and internal build costs for wiring, switches and wireless access.
On equipment, Swan said RAM and pre-installed module prices have risen and that the county maintains roughly 600 desktop and laptop devices. To stay on a four-year refresh cycle the county should replace about 150 machines annually; current funding covers only about 100 per year, he said. He noted cybersecurity costs (email security, antivirus) and said the remote-desktop licensing (RDS) solution will address some speed issues for off-network use.
Why it matters: Swan argued that modest investments in the website and a steady equipment refresh would improve internal productivity and public access to county services.
Next steps: Swan said he would share quotes and host-cost options with the committee and follow up on cybersecurity and licensing questions.