Finance director outlines 2026 estimates; committee hears plan to replace HRIS and a proposed $20,000 payroll consultant

Kevin Eagle, the director of finance, presented the department's estimated 2026 overview, saying finance represents a small share of the general fund and that the department expects to return about $8,000 to the general fund balance. He listed recent awards for the finance and procurement teams and said staff would bring an initial budget proposal back in the coming weeks with a public hearing.

Committee members pressed on payroll deduction errors and the HRIS system. Eagle said many errors stem from setup issues in the current UKG-based system and that they are correctable. He told the committee "I think the contract looks like it's going to be around $20,000" for a consultant to clean up payroll issues and train staff so the city retains in-house expertise while the HRIS replacement proceeds through RFP stages.