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Metra hires firm to pull financial management out of 'Stone Age'

Agency is still using paper to perform some basic financial functions, including purchase requisitions, purchase orders, incoming and outgoing invoices and pay stubs, officials said.

March 26, 2015
Metra hires firm to pull financial management out of 'Stone Age'

Metra train.

Photo: Steven Vance/Flickr

1 min to read


CHICAGO — Metra plans to hire a Chicago accounting firm for $12.6 million to pull the commuter rail agency’s financial management system out of the Stone Age, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

RELATED:Metra awards contract to modernize fleet

“This may be the single most important management step, other than hiring Don [Orseno as Metra CEO], that this board has taken in the last 1 1/2 years,” said Chairman Martin Oberman.

Metra is still using paper to perform some basic financial functions, including purchase requisitions, purchase orders, incoming and outgoing invoices and pay stubs, according to the Sun-TImes. For the full story, click here.

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