1st Westchester County, N.Y.
Although faced with staffing shortages, funding constraints, and the attendant social and political pressures of governing a county of almost 1 million people, Westchester County demonstrated what it means to be proactive with technology, particularly with cybersecurity and AI. As a regional cybersecurity leader, the county provided over 30 municipalities with free endpoint detection services and, in coordination with the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, hosted over 100 senior leaders at a countywide tabletop exercise. The county’s Department of Information Technology (DoIT) further conducted a comprehensive review of the county’s applications, ranking them by priority level in the event of a cyber incident; documented and analyzed mission-essential functions for each county department; added virtual servers; installed a cloud-based cyber vault for critical data; implemented multifactor authentication across all major systems; upgraded 56 network switches; implemented airgap storage systems to preserve data in the event of a cyber attack; and adopted a new vetting process to determine the security, compliance and sustainability of new tools.
In addition to passing legislation prohibiting deepfakes, the county conducted a multistep process to develop a policy for responsible AI use. This included acquiring ChatGPT licenses, conducting demos to educate staff on Microsoft Copilot and other tools, and creating an inventory of internal AI tools. DoIT also collaborated with other county departments on AI applications, embedding AI into various tools for project management, surveys, communications, marketing and redactions.
Structural leadership changes included the formation of a new database administration team, DoIT leading a Strategic Architecture Roundtable Committee to update the design and accessibility of the county’s website and in-house applications, and recruiting more interns by participating in university career fairs.
2nd Snohomish County, Wash.
Located just north of Seattle, Snohomish County finishes second again this year in its population category, with a list of accomplishments that includes a major systems investment, an innovative approach to embracing AI, several public-facing initiatives and shoring up cybersecurity. Perhaps the most consequential move for Snohomish was the multiyear investment in a new ERP system via a contract with Oracle to implement Oracle Fusion. After a long planning period, the IT shop was able to get full executive buy-in for it, a rarity for finance-related projects. This may be owed to the relationship building that IT has done there, holding meetings with individual departments on a regular basis.
Some other strong work in Snohomish included bolstering internal communications by moving to Microsoft Teams telephony, completing a web redesign road map based on extensive stakeholder feedback, launching a new law and justice dashboard to foster greater transparency, and implementing multifactor authentication for the county’s remote access system, which had the added benefit of qualifying Snohomish for cyber insurance. Finally, the county also launched a new system for online reservations for camping, recreation facilities and picnic sites. That may not sound flashy, but it’s a great value-add for residents in a county with more than 11,000 acres of parklands.
3rd Washoe County, Nev.
Public-sector technology is coming out of the shadows in Washoe County, which includes Reno. The county’s tech leaders over the past year have worked with peers in other departments to transform shadow IT — the use of tech outside the supervision of the Technology Services department — from a “negative, unregulated” practice into a decentralized system that includes collaboration with central IT. That meant working with other areas of county government to craft detailed technology plans and associated goals, cutting down on tech redundancy and boosting overall efficiency. Some department heads pushed back against the effort, presenting a major challenge, but with planning, work and persistence, many of those shadows receded.
In another collaborative effort, Technology Services worked with Human Resources on a countywide classification and compensation study for Washoe’s public-sector tech workforce. The new job descriptions and revised pay scales that resulted could help the county hire and keep tech talent in the years to come as many IT veterans retire.
As all that happened, the county deployed multilingual, ADA-compliant kiosks at government buildings, and updated the permitting and licensing process so that people seeking engineering approvals can apply and check their status online, saving potentially time-consuming trips in person. Permits for utilities, including installations of residential water heaters, also went online, with processing times decreasing from three to 1.7 days.
4th Polk County, Fla.
Officials in Polk County, Fla., are using technology to keep pace with the region’s rapid population growth and increased demand for government services, prioritizing workforce investments and infrastructure upgrades. To attract and retain more talent, the county has implemented flexible work policies and updated its technology stack to align with industry standards. The county has been expanding its fiber-optic network, leading to more resource sharing across departments. For the growing population of residents, Polk County offers community education opportunities to bridge Internet access and adoption gaps for individuals. The county uses a multiplatform approach to engage its residents, including its website, social media platforms and video content. Its public-facing budget dashboard bolsters transparency around government spending.
Florida localities like this one are regularly impacted by hurricanes, and a custom-built app implemented in July 2024 has streamlined operations for Polk County evacuation shelters. It aggregates data from multiple systems to ensure a real-time view of availability. The tool has led to improved response times. Also, using a dual-ranking system to evaluate applications based on their typical criticality during emergency response scenarios has helped shape disaster response planning. Another component of Polk County’s resilience is cybersecurity, and the county has also transitioned legacy on-premises systems to cloud-based solutions. Annual training exercises and cross-departmental collaboration inform continuous improvement in response protocols.
5th New Castle County, Del.
In New Castle County, the IT team is working across the enterprise to improve both internal and external services. Four county departments are working on a new digital platform for the Parks and Recreation department to support programs, special events, camps and other activities. The cloud-based solution will retire five systems and automate 12 offline applications for park permits.
New Castle County’s Public Safety department is using Axon technology to improve workflow by redacting text, audio and video data from computer-aided dispatch tools and body cams, cutting time dedicated to these tasks by 75 percent. This development comes after nine years of beta testing various tech products. Public Safety also led an effort to modernize its Targeted Analytical Policing System to improve data mapping and crime analysis to illustrate trends and crime patterns.
Recorder of Deeds data was migrated to the cloud in 2024, while the county’s planning division introduced new digital tools enabling e-plan reviews, permits and inspections, and other planning-related tasks with solutions like the Atlas Inspection mobile app. Digital planning tools have reduced the number of emails and filed physical documents, cutting down on staff time and improving relations with developers and others engaged in the planning process. And to get everyone connected, new cell tower construction will help to make mobile broadband available to more than 9,200 households and businesses.
6th Ventura County, Calif.
Ventura County, home to just over 820,000 people, was badly impacted by the Mountain Fire in November 2024, which tested the county’s preparedness and cross-collaboration capabilities. Multiple departments have been working to use technology, like GIS and communications infrastructure, not only to assess the damage but also prepare for the next natural disaster.
Despite the challenges, 2024 was a good year for the IT Services department. In addition to the use of UserWay ADA compliance and accessibility tools across county websites, GIS is helping to address homelessness across the county’s vulnerable populations. Plans to include a chatbot feature across the jurisdiction’s digital assets are also on the horizon.
In 2024, the Assessor’s Office implemented the Just Appraised AI-enabled solution to streamline, automate and digitize the many manual processes surrounding deed documents and title transfers. Quickly implementing the solution saved the county around $225,000. In a similar vein, the Resource Management Agency developed a voicemail CRM to help address workload constraints at their public counter. The tool automates and transcribes voicemails for staff to review and has saved an estimated 1,556 staff hours.
In the justice and public safety arena, the county is working to bolster its communication capabilities, and IT recently implemented multifactor authentication for all county law enforcement agencies in accordance with state and federal system requirements.
7th DeKalb County, Ga.
DeKalb County, Ga., is once again a top Digital County, notably for the prioritization of its web portal, 911 enhancements and identity management upgrades. A growing county with more than 760,000 residents and a $55 million IT budget, DeKalb has been on a cloud journey for several years, and many of its vendors will help enable upcoming artificial intelligence moves.
With an eye toward AI, the 911 call center piloted CommsCoach, an AI enabled software-as-a-service product that provides transcription, quality assurance, call taker coaching and training simulations. And, to expand capabilities further, Microsoft Copilot for Office 365 continues to be evaluated for high-value use cases while building upon cloud services.
The Department of Innovation and Technology has regularly implemented new portal features and underlying technologies for residents, staff, developers, vendors and anyone wanting to do business with the county. This year, the county launched OpenGov for managing vendors and suppliers. The single portal enables unified account management, streamlined financial systems and easier permitting.
DeKalb County’s moves mesh with ongoing needs for security, compliance and a mobile workforce. An Active Directory rebuild and shift to a privileged access workstation model modernized identity management and strengthened security, laying the groundwork for a more flexible, go-anywhere workforce. These upgrades paired with cloud-based platforms and modern tools support the county’s 6,000-plus employees with better data governance, secure remote access and AI-enabled productivity.
8th Macomb County, Mich.
Macomb County, Mich., has been busy rethinking how local government can work smarter, rolling out an AI chatbot and building its own applications in-house. Over the past year, Macomb launched 15 digital services, including a permitting dashboard, a public health inspection lookup tool and a new residential address finder that helps residents access the services they need faster. The county’s low-code development platform has made all of this possible — cutting turnaround times and allowing for easier updates. An online scheduling system for health appointments is a user-centered platform for residents to receive medical care.
Macomb also strengthened its cyber defenses with a new threat intelligence platform and expanded phishing simulations to stay ahead of evolving risks. The county upgraded its payment processing system and improved cloud storage and secure file sharing tools to help secure and push tech forward in the county.
9th DuPage County, Ill.
This year, DuPage County IT initiatives prioritized collaboration and breaking down silos for public service. In partnership with the county court system, IT developed a QR code to discreetly connect victims to resources like emergency shelter, legal aid, counseling and protective order information. To support long-term prevention, the GIS division created an interactive dashboard that maps domestic violence incidents countywide, enabling more targeted outreach in high-risk areas. Another partnership, this time with Public Health, led to PCC Connect, a secure integration platform that allows real-time sharing of patient data across providers.
To promote digital equity, the county replaced an outdated, inaccessible learning management system (LMS) for court-mandated parenting education and animal-related education. The new LMS is cloud-based and supports multiple languages and types of devices. Additional accessibility improvements were delivered through the Property Tax Portal. Internally, DuPont modernized its legacy intranet, enabling easier remote access to resources for all employees.
10th City of Indianapolis-Marion County, Ind.
Like many jurisdictions, the consolidated city-county of Indianapolis-Marion County recognizes the importance of good governance when it comes to emerging technology. The city-county established an AI Commission to guide implementation of artificial intelligence tools. The commission includes members of the City-County Council, technological experts and community members. The goal is to ensure AI is used ethically and responsibly in a way that benefits the community. One place AI is already being used is in the Marion Superior Court, where the technology provides real-time transcription. This has improved the accuracy of transcripts and increased the time court staff have to focus on more important tasks. And a new AI-powered chatbot on the court website allows visitors to swiftly get their questions answered.
Technology is also improving services at the new Youth Services Center. A new case management system, a real-time display of court rosters, and a new system for real-time updates on staff and resident locations have reduced errors and costs while increasing security for both residents and staff. The recently completed coroner and forensics building also comes with fresh tech, boasting a state-of-the-art facility with extensive network capabilities.
The city-county has also turned to technology to improve resident-facing services. Twenty-eight county parks now have public Wi-Fi access, with residents clocking 18 terabytes of use just in August of last year. Marriage records are now digitized for easy access, and the police department has a new public transparency portal. This has given residents quick access to public information and reduced staff time spent answering simple queries.
Click here to see all winners in this year's survey.
