The Sumter County Commission is set to vote on a $5.8 million no-bid technology services agreement with a company owned by a campaign contributor.
The commission is set to vote Tuesday on the three-year agreement with The Villages Technology Solutions Group. The commission meeting begins at 5 p.m. at Everglades Recreation Center in The Villages.
Sumter County first entered into an agreement with The Villages Technology Solutions Group in 2010 for general Information Technology (IT) support services and programming. In 2011, the county began a pilot program to outsource the overall technical management of the county’s IT infrastructure and services to Technology Solutions Group. On April 10, 2012, the county entered into a formal three-year contract for IT services, specifically computer systems support, Voice over IP telecommunications systems, and video surveillance. On Dec. 13, 2016, the county entered into another contract and added the provision of GIS services by Technology Solutions Group.
“Due to the County’s success with TSG as its IT support services and programming provider, the County has expanded TSG’s support to the Sumter County Tax Collector, Sumter County Supervisor of Elections, and Sumter County Property Appraiser through Memoranda of Agreement between these Constitutional Officers and Sumter County. This integrated support for the County and the Constitutional Officers has increased efficiencies and aided in establishing a cohesive technology strategy that has maximized benefits for all parties and cost savings to the County,” said an executive summary prepared for the commissioners in advance of Tuesday’s meeting.
The Villages Technology Solutions Group will be paid $1.872 million in the first year of the agreement, $1.938 million in the second year and $2.005 million in the third year of the deal.
The Villages Technology Solutions Group is owned by Charles Dale Borrowman who lives at Glen Hollow Farms on the Morse family compound on County Road 466. Borrowman, who is active in GOP politics, donated $1,000 to each of the campaigns of the three Sumter Commission incumbents defeated in the Aug. 18 Republican primary – Don Burgess, Al Butler and Steve Printz. They remain on the commission and the newly elected commissioners will not take the oath until November.
The Villages Technology Solutions Group also provides technology and internet services for The Villages District Office thanks to a no-bid agreement. Kelly Flores, who serves as director of program management for The Villages Technology Solutions Group, is an appointed member of the Village Center Community Development District Board, widely seen as the most powerful board in Villages government.
The Villages Technology Solutions Group is currently headquartered at Lake Sumter Landing but will be moving to a new headquarters under construction at Brownwood.
