The Stafford City Council approved a one‑time transfer from fund balance to begin replacing the city’s permitting and development software, after staff described large backlogs and usability problems with the current system.

Staff recommended replacing the city’s current MGO Connect system with MyGov, a widely used municipal permitting and asset management platform. Permitting staff said the change is “urgent” because the current platform has produced long phone‑assistance calls, data‑entry delays and a backlog of unaccepted applications that currently totals roughly 280 records needing acceptance.

City staff told the council MyGov’s initial implementation and data migration would produce a first‑year cost substantially higher than the annual budget line for permitting software. Staff’s written estimate presented to council said first‑year costs, including migration and staff training, would be about $115,000; the city currently budgets roughly $47,000 across departments for permitting software. Despite the larger first‑year figure, the council approved a transfer of $15,000 from fund balance to begin the procurement/implementation work and to cover initial costs; staff said recurring costs would need to be accounted for in FY26 budgeting.

Why the change: permitting staff reported a severe workload problem driven by both software limitations and staffing shortages. Staff reported multiple recent hires who left quickly and currently estimate the development services office needs additional permit technicians and plan reviewers to clear existing backlog even after a new system is implemented.

Vendor selection process and timeline: MyGov was presented as an industry product used by about 200 Texas cities. Staff said MyGov can host plan documents and permit records offsite while giving staff modern plan‑review, inspections and code‑enforcement tools, and that migration could be scheduled in phases so the city retains access to its data during the transfer.

Council discussion and vote: some council members criticized the city’s prior rush to purchase MGO Connect in 2023 and said the city had been forced to “buy what it could afford” during an urgent migration window. Others warned that software alone won’t resolve staffing shortages and said increased staffing must accompany any software change.

The council voted to transfer $15,000 from fund balance to begin the work; staff indicated they would return with a detailed implementation schedule and a FY26 budget request for ongoing costs.

Quote: “The need to change from our current software system… is urgent,” permitting staff said during their presentation.

Speakers (attributed):
Permitting staff (Laura/Kyle in discussion) — development services staff
City Manager/Finance staff — budget context
Public commenters who supported a full MyGov implementation noted it would take months to migrate and that community help would be needed during transition.

Clarifying details:
- Backlog: ~280 unaccepted permit/record items needing staff action (staff estimate at meeting).
- Budget: Staff estimate first‑year MyGov implementation including migration and training at about $115,000; current annual budget for permitting software across departments approximately $47,000.
- Council action: transfer of $15,000 from fund balance approved to begin procurement/implementation; recurring FY26 costs to be included in next budget cycle.

Ending: Staff will return with a detailed implementation plan, migration timeline and FY26 recurring cost proposal; council emphasized the need to pair software changes with additional staffing to clear backlog and improve service.