Now may not seem like a good time for the county commission to think about purchasing new accounting software. But, at least the items being purchased are included in the 2009-2010 county budget.

A new Windows-based system, Sage, is eons ahead of the DOS-based system the county has been using. This is just another crucial step in making the transition from paper to electronic data.

Employees of the county will also be kept more accountable by having to clock in and out electronically, using a fingerprint reading device. It’s a step in the right direction away from paper time sheets, which would seem to have a wider margin for error.

The advantages are obvious. But could the county have purchased this system at a better time? Perhaps it would have been wiser to pay cash for the system instead of financing it. This may cost the county more in the long run.