Primary Department: Tax Assessor-Collector
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Annette Ramirez
Secondary Department: Universal Services
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Sindhu Menon
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Position
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for approval to transfer two (2) positions and employees to Universal Services, including budget effective April 4, 2026 following the successful completion of background checks.
end
Background and Discussion:
The Harris County Tax Office (HCTO) brought in a consultant to conduct a comprehensive IT assessment across three critical technology domains: 1) HCTO’s core business applications, 2) Infrastructure, and 3) IT Helpdesk operations. One of the key recommendations in the assessment is to fully move server infrastructure and database administration to Universal Services (US) because the HCTO is heavily dependent on US for server provisioning and maintenance and at times, requests US support for necessary patching.
The transition of server infrastructure and database administration to Universal Services includes the transition of 2.0 position FTEs and employees to US to support these functions.
Expected Impact:
The transition of server infrastructure and database administration functions to Universal Services will
Position US to better maintain compliance with county standards while strengthening overall support capabilities. By consolidating these responsibilities within US, we will reduce delays currently caused by dependences on US for server procurement, access requests, and related infrastructure matters. This change will streamline operations, improve responsiveness, and enhance accountability for infrastructure management.
Alternative Options:
The alternative is to maintain the status quo, which would include retaining the 2.0 FTE positions and continuing to perform a portion of the server infrastructure and database administration functions in-house. This option is not recommended, as it would continue our heavy reliance on US for server infrastructure and database administration support for our system, limiting efficiency, flexibility, and timely response to operational needs.
County Strategic Plan Goal: N/A
County Strategic Plan Objective: N/A
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any): N/A
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
|
|
|
Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Countywide
|
Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
|
Service Name |
|
|
|
|
Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
|
|
Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
Existing Budget |
|
|
|
|
|
1000 - General Fund |
$115,989 |
$ |
$115,989 |
$251,310 |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Existing Budget |
$115,989 |
$ |
$115,989 |
$251,310 |
|
Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
|
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Additional Budget Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
|
|
Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
No. of Grant Years |
|
Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
|
Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s) |
|
|
Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
|
CAO Reviewer Name and Title |
|
CAO Review Completion Date |
Click or tap to enter a date. |
Anticipated Court Date: 3/19/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 4/4/2026
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Ulonda Kirk, Chief Administrative Officer, Harris County Tax Office
Attachments (if applicable): 3441’s