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ITEM |
CONSENT CALENDAR |
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3. |
CONSIDER RECOMMENDATION TO AUTHORIZE CONTRACT
WITH iGm us hOLDINGS, iNC “GRAVITY” – budget book |
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Meeting
Date: |
October 20, 2025 |
Budgeted: |
Yes |
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From: |
David J.
Stoldt, |
Program/ |
Budget Book |
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General
Manager |
Line Item No.: |
xx-02-781900 |
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Prepared
By: |
Nishil
Bali |
Cost
Estimate: |
$52,704 for three years |
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General Counsel Review: N/A |
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Committee Recommendation: The Finance and Administration Committee reviewed this item on October 13, 2025, and recommended approval. |
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CEQA Compliance: This action
does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental
Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378. |
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SUMMARY:
District staff has conducted a
comprehensive review of potential solutions to streamline the development and
presentation of the District’s annual Budget Book. As part of this evaluation,
multiple software platforms were assessed for their functionality, ease of use,
and alignment with the District’s operational and reporting needs.
Based
on this analysis, staff recommends the adoption of Gravity’s Budget Suite as
the most suitable option to meet the District’s current and anticipated
budgeting requirements. This cloud-based platform will modernize the budget
development process by automating existing manual workflows and consolidating
work currently performed across multiple Excel spreadsheets and Word documents.
Gravity’s
Budget Suite will improve efficiency, enhance accuracy, and provide advanced
publication features, including data visualization and automated formatting.
These enhancements will help the District produce a more professional,
consistent, and accessible annual budget document.
RECOMMENDATION: The Finance and Administration Committee recommends
this item to be forwarded to the Board with a recommendation to:
1.
Approve a three-year
contract with IGM US Holdings Inc. “Gravity” for Budget Suite software
licensing and implementation at a total not-to-exceed amount of $52,704 ($23,000
in year one, $14,490 in year two, and $15,214 in year three) per Exhibit 3-B, and
2.
Authorize two one-year
optional renewals at an annual cost not-to-exceed $16,000 each, and
3.
Approve a budget
adjustment to increase the Fiscal Year 2025–26 budget by $23,000 for the first
year of licensing and implementation.
BACKGROUND: The District currently relies on a highly manual budget
preparation process utilizing multiple Excel worksheets and Word documents.
While effective, this method is labor-intensive and poses an increased risk of
human error despite various control measures in place. To identify a more
efficient and scalable solution, staff conducted a comprehensive review of
budget software platforms used by peer agencies and municipalities. Solutions
evaluated included offerings from OpenGov, Questica, ClearGov, Gravity, and the
Tyler Munis budget module, which integrates with the District’s existing ERP
system.
Following
this review, staff recommends separating the tools used for budget development
and budget presentation. The District will use Tyler’s budget development
module (purchased in the prior fiscal year) and proposes adopting Gravity’s
Budget Suite software specifically for budget publication and presentation. Gravity’s
Budget Suite offers key advantages aligned with the District’s needs,
including:
·
Integration with
existing financial data and the District’s chart of accounts
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Automated formatting
and publication features that streamline the creation of the Budget Book
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Cloud-based
collaboration tools with role-based permissions and real-time progress tracking
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Rule-based data
mapping to ensure data integrity and consistency across financial documents
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Customizable visuals
and graphics to improve the presentation of financial information
Unlike
other vendors, Gravity offers a standalone license specific to budget
presentation functions, allowing the District to optimize its software
investment without redundant features.
Implementation
is expected to begin in November 2025, pending Board approval. The onboarding
process will include configuration of the current budget structure, rules
development, data modeling, and staff training. Following a three-month
implementation lead time, the system is targeted to be operational for the preparation
of the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget.
EXHIBIT
3-A Gravity Budget Form
3-B Gravity Contract Form
U:\staff\Boardpacket\2025\102025\Consent
Calendar\03\Item-3.docx