The state’s defective welfare-benefits computer system on Wednesday got some – but not all – of the money and tools officials say are needed to fix it.
The legislature’s Joint Budget Committee agreed to an emergency allocation of about $5.75 million – $3.9 million to Colorado counties, $250,000 for additional office space and $1.6 million for 17 new employees to get the bugs out of the Colorado Benefits Management System.
Dr. John Witwer, a former state legislator appointed last month to oversee the troubled system, had asked for 34 employees and a total appropriation of $8.2 million.
After the committee cut the number of employees, Witwer said he still believes the job requires more people.
But, he said, “I’ll just have to work with it.”
Witmer estimated that with full funding it would have taken 18 to 24 months to get the system running efficiently. The committee asked Witwer to report back in August.
Colorado counties estimate it costs them about $900,000 a month to operate the CBMS.
Although he voted for the allocation of funds to the counties, Sen. Dave Owen, a Greeley Republican, criticized the counties’ performance in implementing the CBMS.
“I’m not so sure they’re doing all they can,” he said.
The $200 million system was launched last September and immediately had problems.
By December, with nearly 30,000 cases backlogged for more than 30 days, a judge ordered the state to reduce the backlog and to establish emergency procedures for people in dire need of benefits.
An independent audit released last month blamed many of the problems on inadequate communication and management structures and insufficient resources committed to the project.
