Commissioners look for IT solutions

Bartholomew County Commissioners are still working on a solution to the county’s information technology problems.

The last worker in the IT department quit on Friday, leaving the commissioners to patch together a system to keep the county’s computers operating using contractors. The county IT department is responsible for essential computers including those in the emergency dispatch center, the court system and the county jail and other administrative and financial systems throughout county government.

Commissioners President Rick Flohr said the county has interviewed a possible IT director already, but the commissioners are still working through how the newly reformed department might look. He estimated that it would be some mix of county employees and contractors going forward.

The County Council is scheduled to consider a request tonight for $50,000 to pay contractors in the interim. Auditor Barb Hackman said that would be a transfer from other funds and not a new appropriation. The council meets at 6 p.m. in the governmental office building on Third Street in Columbus.