On November 5, 2024, the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved a $349,284.39 expenditure for a data backup and ransomware protection system, significantly exceeding the initially expected maximum cost of $50,000. The purchase, awarded to GHA Technologies Inc., was unanimously approved in a 4-0 vote during an open session.
This article is part of our Local and Regional Government Efficiency (LARGE) Spending tracking initiative, which aims to shed light on local and regional government spending by looking at unusual expenses.
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This article is part of a series by Radio Free Hub City aimed at examining local government spending and highlighting unique or unusual expenditures, as part of our Local and Regional Government Efficiency (LARGE) Spending tracking initiative. While Radio Free Hub City makes no claims regarding the justification of these expenses, the series seeks to present this information in an unbiased manner, allowing residents to form their own opinions about how public funds are allocated. By shedding light on such decisions, the series hopes to foster greater transparency and engagement in local and regional governance.
The funding will support the implementation of Rubrik Enterprise Data Protection, a comprehensive solution encompassing hardware, software, and cloud services. This upgrade addresses the county’s aging data backup infrastructure, which has reached the end of its operational lifespan. Officials cited the critical need for a secure and reliable backup system in light of increasing cybersecurity threats.
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The purchase was processed through a Request for Quotation (RFQ) rather than a formal bidding process, as the original project estimate fell below $50,000. The unexpectedly high quotations required board approval, a step reserved for expenditures exceeding the statutory threshold. GHA Technologies submitted the lowest qualifying bid, beating four other vendors.
Despite the higher-than-anticipated cost, county officials emphasized that publicly advertising the project likely would not have altered the outcome. Funds for the purchase are allocated within the county’s fiscal year 2024 operating budget.
The quotation award Q-24-793 is available in our Public Information Archive.
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