Montgomery County IT Department Requests Double Its Current Budget

The Montgomery County IT Department has requested a $39 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which would more than double its $19 million allocation for 2025.

The county’s preliminary budget for 2026 includes $21 million for the IT Department, falling $18 million short of its request.

Budget Officer Amanda Carter presented this discrepancy during a July 29 Commissioners Court meeting, where she cited the department’s cybersecurity concerns as a top priority.

“There is a lot of stuff in IT that we don't understand,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley said during the budget presentation. “This $38 million (sic), [IT] is going to need that as years go by, so we better hang onto our hats.”

According to the preliminary budget, the largest differences between requested funds and granted preliminary funds are related to hardware, software, utilities and software maintenance:

• New hardware: The department requested $7 million and received $18,150 in the preliminary budget.
• New software: The department requested $1.5 million and received $10,000.
• New utilities: The department didn't receive any of its $2 million request.
• New software maintenance: The department didn't receive any of its $936,000 request.

County departments that had major differences between their requested budgets and the proposed budgets will be attending workshops to present their appeals, including IT.

The preliminary budget is subject to change as the county continues its budget process, with workshops scheduled to begin this month.