Cashmere streamlines payroll, modernizes tracking for taxpayer-funded jobs

CASHMERE — Cashmere City Council approved the purchase of new time and attendance software on Feb. 9, a move city staff said will modernize payroll tracking, reduce manual data entry, and improve scheduling across departments.

Elizabeth Martinez of Cashmere’s finance staff told council the city’s current process relies heavily on paper timesheets and multiple layers of manual entry, creating inefficiencies and increasing the potential for errors. Payroll data is currently transferred by hand between spreadsheets and the city’s financial system, a process that Martinez said can take multiple days to complete for a relatively small workforce.

Under the approved motion, the city will implement time and attendance software from TCP, which integrates with the city’s existing financial and payroll platform, Vision. The system allows employees to enter time electronically, supervisors to review and approve hours, and payroll staff to process information without re-entering data.

Martinez said the change is expected to be especially helpful for seasonal operations such as the city pool, where large numbers of part-time employees currently submit handwritten timesheets. The new system will allow for digital scheduling, real-time monitoring of hours worked, and clearer oversight of staffing levels.

Councilmembers were told the software would also help the city better track labor costs by department and reduce compliance risks related to state payroll and benefit requirements, including paid family and medical leave thresholds that are calculated based on employee averages.

The annual cost of the software falls in the mid-range of proposals reviewed by staff, with city officials noting that TCP was recommended by the vendor that supports the city’s current financial system. The agreement allows the city to discontinue the service in future years if funding is not included in the budget.

Implementation and staff training are expected to take place over the coming weeks, with the first payroll run using the new system anticipated later this spring.

Council approved the purchase unanimously.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media