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Iowa County Picks New Vendor for Tax Software

After an initial agreement with another vendor fell through, county officials selected Texas-based Tyler Technology to implement the system.

(TNS) — WATERLOO — Black Hawk County has found a new company to supply an expensive tax administration system after the previous vendor failed to deliver.

The county Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Tuesday to select Tyler Technology, of Lubbock, Texas, to provide the software system used by the treasurer, recorder and auditor’s office for property taxes and real estate.

Tyler Technology was the low bid on the project at $475,000 and also met the expectations of a committee reviewing the bids, said Kim Veeder, county information technology director.

“It is less expensive and has a higher percentage of functions included,” she said.

The county had voted in March 2014 to approve an $866,600 contract with Thomson Reuters to provide the tax and real estate software, which was supposed to be completed by 2017.

The supervisors voted in April to terminate that contract when Thomson Reuters continuously pushed back the project start date. The company paid $30,000 in damages to the county as part of the termination settlement.

Veeder said the county’s new request for proposals from companies included a February 2020 completion date for the project.

“Obviously when we have the contract this year we will be very specific about our expectations of when it’s going to be completed and what penalty there might be if there’s a delay,” she said.

Tyler Technology recently purchased New World Systems, which provides the county financial software system.

Veeder said Scott County currently uses the New World Systems financial software and the Tyler Technology tax administration system — an arrangement Black Hawk would emulate — and it has been working successfully.

Linn and Polk counties are also looking at the Tyler Technology system, she added.

©2018 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.