Residents Trust Local Government but Expect Better Services

Residents have high expectations for digital services from local governments but the experience could be improved, according to findings from a national survey conducted by CivicPlus, a municipal technology platform provider.

Local governments are expanding their digital service offerings, and trying to create a simplified user experience in the process. In addition to security and efficiency, accessibility plays a key role in a positive experience.

These trends were highlighted in the CivicPlus report, which included responses from more than 26,000 participants nationwide. Notably, only 47 percent of respondents expressed high overall satisfaction with their local government, but those who said their local government’s website was easy to navigate were four times more satisfied than those who did not.

In fact, the digital experience plays a significant role in bridging the trust-satisfaction gap, according to the report, as the majority — 74 percent — of respondents reported having more trust than distrust in their local leaders. Trust levels were also more than twice as high among those who found their municipal website very easy to navigate than with those who found their website’s user experience to be difficult.

“Technology is not just a tool, it’s a lever,” Brenden Elwood, vice president of market research at CivicPlus, said in a statement, pointing to technology as being a way to bridge this gap.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents, or 72 percent, indicated they use digital methods to engage with local government. The majority of residents said they believe a municipality’s website quality is a direct reflection of local leadership.

Accessibility is a key factor in determining a government website’s quality, with 63 percent deeming those features to be highly important and the majority supporting website accessibility as a “high priority.” This sentiment is shared by government officials themselves, according to a recent web accessibility report. That report found that more than 80 percent of municipal officials said they believe accessibility is a “core responsibility” for local governments — and a way to build public trust.

Accessibility in digital services is a way to improve trust and satisfaction among residents, but it is also the law; the 2026 deadline to ensure digital products and services are accessible for people with disabilities is fast approaching.

Residents want to be able to use digital government services not only to get information from local government, but also to provide information in the way of nonemergency reporting; 64 percent of residents deemed a nonemergency reporting app as being “essential.” Even more said they would support using tax dollars to create such a tool.

Local governments are increasingly looking to AI technology to improve efficiency. Some experts argue AI can improve the government experience, and some residents are eager to see the technology implemented in digital services.

However, public opinions on this matter vary. The report underlined that only 21 percent of respondents support local government exploring AI use without conditions. Nearly half, or 42 percent, offered conditional support, meaning they would only support it if they knew how it was used. Some use cases have more public support than others; 36 percent supported using AI for a website chatbot, but only 22 percent supported using it for citizen engagement and services.
Local leaders have an opportunity to invest in improving their digital presence, the report concluded. Doing so, the report argued, will create a positive feedback loop in which greater public trust enables increased engagement.