The Starke County Council discussed the purchase of new software for the Sheriff’s Department to help automate tax warrants and the cash books.
Starke County Council President David Pearman said the biggest concern is the cost for both components which were explained in the proposal given by Rick Culiver from Lieberman Technologies.
“The biggest issue is that it has a pretty substantial cost behind it and it has a pretty substantial maintenance cost,” said Pearman.
The software enables the Matron at the Jail to expedite calculating the cash books and processing tax warrants, which is a lien that has been filed in court against a taxpayer of real or personal property. Both are currently done by hand. Culiver explained that the addition of the software could mean more tax warrant money coming into the county as the Matron could do the paperwork more efficiently and quickly. The cash book paperwork would also be finished more quickly.
The cost of both components came to $8,000 plus a maintenance fee of $1,334 for 2013 and $3,200 for 2014. The council tabled the purchase and Pearman asked Culiver to adjust his invoice to allow the council to purchase the cash book software for now, with the option of adding the tax warrant software later.
“The real efficiency factor is with the cash book and that is something that is in dire need in that area and I think, after we looked at their budget, they will be able to purchase it under normal conditions and without having to have a special appropriation for the software. However, moving forward with the tax warrant, I think we’re going to look a little more intimately to see if that’s going to be something we’re going to need,” Pearman explained.
If the Council moves forward with the purchase, the money will be taken out of the Rainy Day Fund.
