KEYSER W.Va. — Whether it is because new people need training or because the software doesn’t work properly, the financial software through Software Systems Inc. is not performing as Mineral County officials expected.

“It never has been the product it was demonstrated to be,” Mike Bland, county coordinator, said at Tuesday’s commission meeting.

The issue with the financial report product became apparent when Sheriff Gary White presented the most recent report available, June 2008.

The commissioners requested financial reports that are more up to date, preferably up to the most recent month.

Bland said that in the past, the sheriff would generate a report based on receipts received. The original program was just a series of spreadsheets, but the new program allowed amounts to be entered, producing not only the receipt but inserting the amount into the report.

Bland said the county clerk’s office has to re-key all information into the system. This double entry he said might cause some problems, including discrepancies, but it has also caught errors in the past.

Wayne Spiggle, county commissioner, questioned whether this is the responsibility of the contractor who was hired or the sheriff, as it is his department’s role to keep the financial records up to date.

“It is probably the elected official,” White said, “but it’s been done this way for years.”

Spiggle said he felt communication with Software Systems Inc. should come from the sheriff’s office because the monthly financial reports are the sheriff’s responsibility.

This software is not only used for the sheriff’s accounting but also for tax collection.

The commissioners have agreed to meet with Software Systems on Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. to discuss the issues and try to find a way that employees hired since the software was put into place sometime last year can get training on how to use it properly.