LISBON – Town councilors discussed options for funding municipal software packages with Munis and TRIO at a special budget workshop Tuesday night.

Service and software is budgeted at $170,272, a 16 percent increase over this fiscal year.

The town signed an agreement with TRIO in 2009, but now only obtains a motor vehicle and assessing package with the company.

Other computer-based functions for government operations and services were switched to Munis software. 

The town is in its second year of a seven-year contact with Munis, but Councilor Kasie Kolbe urged others to look at getting out of the agreement for lack of support and resources.

“There were so many issues with it,” Kolbe said. “We were told certain things would be implemented by certain timeframes and I hear chirping. We’re still waiting.”

Town Manager Diane Barnes agreed to look into the costs associated with breaking the contract.

“If I knew then what I knew now when I first started I would say get out of (the contract),” Finance Director Lydia Colston said.

The technology department is budgeted at $206,272 out of a $10.1 million proposed 2018-19 budget, $1.9 million more than this fiscal year.

Despite frustrations, Colston advised the council to move forward with their Munis contract because of the financial cost of breaking it and with TRIO becoming less functional.

“TRIO is functional now and we’re making it do but there is going to come a point where that’s not going to be enough,” Colston said.

Barnes will continue to look at how to move forward with Munis contract.

The next council meeting will be at 7 p.m. April 3 at the Town Office.