Whitman Finance Committee reviews IT budget and pushes for software overhaul

WHITMAN — January 27, 2026 — Whitman Finance Committee hears twin calls to replace the town's outdated financial management software. IT Director Josh McNeil and newly appointed Town Accountant Jennifer each appeared before the committee January 27 to present their FY27 budgets, separately describing a pre-2012 financial system that requires laborious manual workarounds and is running out of available account numbers. McNeil said the town has applied for a state grant of up to $200,000 — deadline February 5, results expected by late March — to fund replacement with a system that would cost approximately $54,695 annually for base financial and revenue modules, rising to roughly $350,000 for a full implementation including HR and utility billing. The vendor has agreed to a 20 percent discount. McNeil also flagged a 10.3 percent jump in AssessPro licensing and a 9 percent increase for the police department's end-of-life dispatch software. The committee voted 8-0 to approve its 2025 annual report, due to the town by Friday.