Local Government

The leading jurisdictions in this year's Digital Counties Survey are redefining the boundaries of tech advancements with their agile adoption of new tools, commitment to digital equity and digitization of critical processes.

City officials are working out how to grant access to digital public records without constituents needing to use the city computers to view the files. More secure workarounds are being considered.

The attack highlights risks around holiday weekend attacks, targeted software supply chains and the growing popularity of data-theft-based extortion. Still, zero-day exploits comprise only a small slice of extortion attacks.

Plus, Houston is hiring a broadband director; more governors issue comments on the federal BEAD funding for high-speed Internet; and U.S. senators are fighting for a broadband strategy.

Officials for the northern California city said they have no evidence of personal information being leaked during the incident, but its website was offline for at least a day as it investigated systems.

The new app, from Utah vendor TextMyGov, will work with a federal emergency notification system and can give residents information on everything from parks and trash pickup to boil water advisories.

If the city’s plan to replace 147 fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles is implemented, city staff said it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12,000 metric tons over the life of the new fleet.

The official launch of a standalone IT department — separate from the General Services division — will allow the county to better deploy technology solutions across the organization, officials say.

An outreach effort called AZ LEGIT aims to connect rural schools and agencies with cybersecurity tools and training, a threat-sharing communication system and incident response services from the National Guard.

The Baltimore Police Department is asking residents for input on a plan to use drones during crime scene management and tactical situations, outlining the specific circumstances where the technology could be used.

The state auditor’s office’s new program offers local governments quick assessments of their cyber postures, plus advice for improving. This can help governments get ready while on the waitlist for the state’s more in-depth cyber audits.

Wanda M. Gibson talks about her priorities as CIO of Prince George's County, Md., her agency's digital equity work and the lasting impact COVID-19 has had on county IT.

The California county will have drones in the sky looking for illegal fireworks this July Fourth. Last year, the technology helped the fire department initiate more than 100 administrative actions against suspected lawbreakers.

Police agencies across Boulder County are turning to license plate recognition systems to get a handle on vehicle theft and other crime. Officials say the technology helps to more quickly identify stolen vehicles.

The city is looking to implement a system that would allow callers to select the type of emergency they are reporting. Callers currently spend an average of one minute on hold when calling 911.

The city has signed a 10-year, $39 million contract with Axon Enterprises for the latest models of body cameras, in-vehicle cameras and Tasers as they become available.

The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development is working with the city’s library systems to pilot solutions that will expand technology access and use for the constituents the agency serves.

Audi will team up with Spoke Safety in Peachtree Corners, Ga., to further develop connected vehicle technologies to communicate information related to vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians.