The primary IT allocation appears in the Information Services and Telecommunications (IST) Department's operating fund, for which $9.4 million has been requested. This includes expenditures for personnel, contractual services, supplies and cybersecurity efforts.
In addition to ongoing operations, the IST Department has proposed $300,000 in new funding. This request includes $183,000 to add two Wi-Fi Network Specialist I positions and $115,000 for capital outlay projects. The requested capital items include:
- $80,000 to replace the city’s 800 MHz radio system
- $20,000 for a server to store surveillance video
- $15,000 for additional memory and disk hardware
The Planning Department is preparing to launch an online permitting and application review portal, expand its Atlas Insight software and digitize development records through AdComp. Its proposed contractual services and supplies allocations total $1.2 million.
Planning: Section 112, which supports the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and related projects, includes $914,000 in contractual services and supplies, with potential uses including data systems, transportation modeling software and digital coordination tools.
Staffing plans also reflect growing technology demands. The city is proposing new positions for a cybersecurity manager and IT security analyst, as well as continued support for GIS analyst and technician roles in the Planning Department.
The Police Department budget includes technology to support officer safety and communications in its goals for 2026, but the exact funds proposed for such projects are unclear.
Laredo’s proposed budget remains under review by the City Council, with the next public meeting scheduled for Sept. 2.
