DATE:
January 28, 2026
17
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
MODERNIZING COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY TO CAPTURE MILLIONS IN ONGOING TAXPAYER SAVINGS (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
The County of San Diego (County) is preparing for a difficult fiscal year driven largely by significant reductions in federal funding. As the County approaches the upcoming budget cycle, maintaining public trust requires demonstrating that every reasonable efficiency, consolidation, and cost-saving measure has been identified and pursued before any service reductions are considered.
Over the past several years, the way County employees work has fundamentally changed. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the County rapidly expanded remote and hybrid work, increased reliance on mobile devices, and adopted secure, software-based communications tools such as Microsoft Teams to maintain operations and public access to services during unprecedented disruption.
This item advances modernization by accelerating the County's transition to enterprise software-based communications. By standardizing modern tools that are already widely in use and responsibly phasing out legacy systems that were maintained during the transition for continuity, the County can align its technology spending with how work is actually performed today. These actions are expected to capture between $1.5 and $7 million in yearly taxpayer savings without reducing public access to County services or disrupting operations.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
SUPERVISOR LAWSON-REMER AND SUPERVISOR MONTGOMERY STEPPE
1. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to develop and implement a plan for the adoption of an only one phone number standard for staff and define an exception process.
2. Direct the CAO to develop and implement a plan to replace desk phones with the adopted County Technology Office enterprise standard for softphones and define an exception process.
3. Direct the CAO to develop and implement enterpri...
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