Blackford County Weighs IT Managed Services vs. In-House Hire

From the Blackford County Council Budget Workshop #2 & Regular Meeting on August 5, 2026

A Muncie-based IT managed service provider presented a revised proposal to the county council during the budget workshop, offering 20 hours per month of managed IT services for $78,999 per year. The proposal includes server licensing, cloud backup, email security, and endpoint protection, with a one-time onboarding fee of approximately $12,482 to install monitoring tools on about 100 computers, 13 servers, and 8 firewalls. Additional hours beyond the contracted 20 would cost about $225 per hour.

The company, which already services Jay County and Randolph County, argued that its 42-person team provides coverage that a single in-house hire cannot match, including 24/7 support for the sheriff's department and no gaps during vacation or sick time.

Council member Jack Beckley pushed back, noting that 20 hours per month for $79,000 compares unfavorably to a full-time employee working 140 hours per month at a similar salary. The company countered that an in-house hire at $79,000 to $80,000 would still require approximately $65,000 in additional software licensing costs that are included in the managed services proposal.

The county's current IT infrastructure was described as disorganized, with unclear backup status. The company asked for a decision or an opportunity to present to the commissioners at their August 17 meeting.

Source: YouTube transcript — Blackford County Council Budget Workshop #2 & Regular Meeting, August 5, 2026

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.