Montgomery County office holders now will be able to communicate more efficiently after commissioners signed a contract Tuesday for new software.
Montgomery County Assessor Peg Hudson and Auditor Michelle Cash have struggled with the current records system used by county departments as most information shared between the two offices must be "keyed manually," Cash said told councilmen Tuesday.
"I used to be assessor and worked for an auditor," AS2 President Phil Folkerts told commissioners and councilmen during the county council meeting Tuesday. "I know what it's like to be in the trenches and have two systems that can't talk to each other."
Folkerts said his software will allow information from the assessor's office, including personal properties and sales disclosures, to merge with the auditor's files.
Commissioners signed a one-year contract, to begin March 1, after changing the noncompliance fee from $100 to $150. Commissioners hope the AS2 software will alleviate stress and labor in both departments. The agreement states Fulkert will complete the software installation and training prior to the starting date and a new agreement will be reconsidered by Feb. 28, 2010, commissioner President Harry Siamas said. If training and installation is not completed by March 1 or data is not available by state or department deadlines, AS2 will be charged the noncompliance fee.
"This is a one-time offer to not only switch to a better software but to a superior service for far less than the current cost of your system," Folkert said.
Commissioners will pay $8,000 for the software and first year contract, which includes maintenance and service agreement, county attorney Monty Harris said. The current system, Manitron, increased fees in 2009 from about $5,000 to more than $8,000, Hudson said. The AS2 software will cost $6,000 after the first year contract.
"I'm very good at what I do in this field," Fulkerts said. "I know the DLGF inside and out and I know what makes them tick. If you are in hot water, I know how to get you out and get you out quick."
The Noblesville company services 47 Indiana counties, Fulkert said. It is his goal to create a "seamless environment between multiple vendor systems," he said. Whenever the rules change (at the state level), Peg will get an update almost immediately, and when the rules change again, we will change."
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