Program swaps expand county’s New World computer hookups

As Whitman County prepares to flip the switch on its new accounting software, officials realized they did not have the rights to use it on enough computers.

Chris Nelson, director of the county’s information technology department, told commissioners Monday the original purchase agreement with Michigan-based New World did not come with enough software licenses to install on the necessary amount of computers.

In that 2005 purchase, Whitman County received licenses to use the New World system on 40 computers. Nelson said the county will actually be using New World on 100 more computers.

Nelson said the additional software licenses will be needed to aid the transition to a newer version of New World, which is expected to be installed this week.

The software runs the general ledger of the county, including claims, payroll, inventory, annual reports, human resources and other financial programs. The existing system has been blamed for glitches that have left the county’s accounting records in question.

The county purchased the New World system for $331,600 in 2005.

In the six years since the purchase, the county has paid hundreds of thousands in software updates, training and consultation.

Most of the expenses came in trying to get the software to comply with the unique requirements in Washington’s budget, accounting and reporting system, or BARS.

Commissioners Pat O’Neill and Greg Partch Monday signed an amendment to the New World contract that would provide the additional computer licenses in exchange for several programs included in the New World system that the county does not need. Commissioner Michael Largent missed Monday’s meeting.

One program, for “community development,” would track property values and tax information.

The county treasurer and assessor in 2008 purchased a tax system from TerraScan under a state grant. That system did what the New World program would have done. County officials preferred the TerraScan system and put it into action last year.

Also deemed unnecessary were programs to manage grants and workers’ compensation. Again, county staffers prefer other programs.

New World had offered replacement services for the programs the county did not want, said Nelson.

Nelson said the county is on track to start using the New World system next month.