To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dan Mierzwa, Treasurer-Tax Collector
Report Title: APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector, or designee, to execute a contract with Info-Tech Research Group, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $197,000, to develop a strategy to modernize the property tax system, for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. (100 % General Fund)
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector, or designee, to execute a contract with Info-Tech Research Group, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $197,000, to develop a strategy to modernize the property tax system, for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The payment will be funded 100% by General Fund.
BACKGROUND:
The Assessor, Auditor-Controller and Treasurer-Tax Collector currently utilize a legacy tax system that has been in place for over 50 years. The current system is less effective than modern solutions due to limited support, high maintenance costs, and outdated design. Its reliance on a costly mainframe and the scarcity of skilled programmers contribute to ongoing challenges, while its lack of user-friendliness and intuitive functionality further hinders efficiency and usability. While ancillary software has been implemented to assist with issues, the current system is still prone to errors and there have been delays in updates, ultimately forcing increased reliance on manual support to avoid such errors and delays.
This contract will enable Info-Tech to collaborate closely with County representatives to understand the current property tax system as used by the Assessor, Auditor-Controller and Tax Collector, and supported by Information Technology, and their individual objectives for modernizing the tax system. Info-Tech will employ that information in developing a Request for Information (“RFI”) to help the County select vendors for the modernization of a new tax system, and review vendor responses to the RFI. Through discussions with the departments, Info-Tech will identify the preferred go-forward solution and the associated vendor(s) for implementing the new property tax system.
As part of this contract, the County and Info-Tech have agreed to a modified indemnification provision. Info-Tech’s maximum liability to County is limited to two million dollars except for any issues related to breach of confidentiality, third party intellectual property infringement, bodily injury and property damage, and gross negligence or willful misconduct.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the agreement is not approved by the Board of Supervisors, the County will continue working with the antiquated legacy tax system.