Government Experience

Luke Stowe, CIO for Evanston, Ill., gained a new title at the beginning of this month: acting deputy city manager. Government Technology spoke to Stowe about what this extra role means for him and his city.

The efforts to extend language translation capabilities across all state websites that offer public services and COVID-19 information could be given more time by the state Legislature through a recent amendment.

According to the Washington Department of Licensing, hackers indeed stole Social Security numbers and other personal data from at least 650,000 individuals through a data breach that might have occurred late January.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a pilot that will make three Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus routes free starting next month. The city is using federal relief dollars to fund the pilot.

The U.S. Department of Labor has directed state unemployment agencies to expand overpayment waivers to jobless claimants who were not "able and available" to work during the pandemic.

The personal data of more than 250,000 licensed professionals in Washington may have made it to the "dark web," where identity thieves gather information to enact their various schemes.

Digital Prince William, a program in Prince William County, Va., launched a pilot project offering free technology classes to older adults to teach them the digital skills necessary to operate mobile technology.

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted to allocate $500K in grant funding toward broadband access and to consolidate two county departments. The initiatives aim to better serve the county's residents.

After the conclusion of an eight-month review of a ransomware attack on St. Clair County's computer system, local officials say over 600 people's personal information may have been seen or stolen.

Florida might soon establish a national first within its Secretary of State’s Office: the Office of Election Crimes and Security. The 15-person office would be required to report its activities to the Florida Legislature.

The county, which is home to Las Vegas, has announced it will be working to deploy optical sensor technology in one of its popular parks as part of a pilot project to monitor occupancy and vehicle counting.

Michigan’s state unemployment agency is staring at a class-action lawsuit after it, through notices, told residents they must pay back overpayments in unemployment benefits that were approved by the state.

The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority observed another decline in fixed-route bus ridership in 2021. To survive the future, the agency may have to rethink how it utilizes resources and meets customer demand.

A federal judge is waiting on proposals from Georgia election officials who are suing over election security before potentially releasing a report that indicates how hackers can manipulate votes in Georgia elections.

Middletown, Conn., has created a website for individuals, namely business and property owners, to apply for a slice of the city's $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act money. The city will also offer ARPA workshops.

Residents can now update their government-issued licenses and registrations, receive proactive reminders and complete transactions through the new Texas by Texas digital assistant platform.

Later this year, the Internal Revenue Service will require IRS website users to agree to biometric scanning to access tax records. Why should the IRS have the ability to put citizens' privacy at such substantial risk?

New Jersey's smallest toll highway, the Atlantic City Expressway, will be the first to embrace an all-electronic toll collection system. A recent study indicates that cashless tolls are safer than cash tolls.