A long-awaited study of Dallas County's computer systems found evidence of significant overspending.
Some county commissioners wanted more details at their meeting on Tuesday — and debate became heated at times.
Gartner Consulting shared an 18-page presentation, based on its final 91-page report.
The IT department's spending and staffing was compared to nine similar counties.
The presentation to commissioners noted that "significant spending (ranging from $15-$20 million) on hardware and software both results in higher than peer spending in IT overall and limits the ability to address key gaps in staffing."
Another finding: Dallas needs a strong IT leader, currently a vacant position.
Bob Jirgal, a senior executive with Gartner, said the county's IT committee and commissioners should communicate with IT staff before software purchases to avoid to avoid problems that could affect security risks, efficiency and infrastructure.
"That group should be testing..." he said. "Did you make sure that it fit? Do you make sure that it works? Do you make sure you got the right people involved in the project so that it's successful?"
According to the presentation, "lack of a clear governance structure has resulted in decisions being made or influenced without full understanding of the impact of those decisions, leading to increased costs and, in some cases, delayed or failed projects."
The report said department leaders on the IT committee seem logical, but commissioners might want to reevaluate its function.
Some commissioners have been reluctant to act on IT matters until they get a report from Gartner. The company was hired in August to study the county's computer systems.
That was before Dallas County was the target of what officials described as a "cybersecurity incident" on Oct. 19. A group of hackers who call themselves "Play" have claimed responsibility.
IT officials had warned of vulnerabilities in the county's computer operations months before the October cyber attack. And earlier this year the county increased its IT budget by millions of dollars.
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