Local Government

The 54 winning cities in this year’s survey are incorporating community feedback into their plans, ensuring responsible AI use, maturing their data programs and navigating challenges without sacrificing service.

The city’s existing system is legacy, and its bench of staff who can handle support is thin. City Council members awarded a three-year contract for new software, after the city received four such proposals.

The city’s new chief digital equity officer, Paolo Balboa, talks about the role of trust in bringing more people to technology — and bringing more tech to people. He describes his vision as NYC prepares for a new mayor.

Officials at the Lyon County seat joined a ribbon-cutting marking plans by service provider IdeaTek to bring in “ultra-fast fiber Internet.” The entire city is expected to go live by early April.

Dent, who served as the chief information security officer of the state’s most populous county for more than two decades, is stepping down as of Friday. A new CISO has taken over cybersecurity efforts.

It was pulled from consideration this spring, but City Council members are now reconsidering a ban on the use of algorithms to set residential rents. A key issue is whether it would discourage housing developers.

After a pilot project decreased wait times at a busy intersection by 25 percent to 30 percent, a city in the Bay Area is expanding use of AI-driven systems to detect traffic and instruct signals to speed up or slow down.

The program will debut on a handful of streets in town limits. Drivers observed going 10 or more miles per hour over the speed limit will be cited. The technology will only capture images of speeding vehicles.

Proposed by the state Department of Information Resources, the code would apply to all state agencies and local entities that procure, develop or deploy AI technology. It is now available for public comment.

Boston’s new 311 system replaces one that could no longer deliver on the city’s needs. The no-code platform leverages AI to help officials be more efficient and agile as these needs evolve.

The county, which is home to Chicago, has partnered with AidKit to issue $1,000 cash grants to homeowners there who are facing sharp property tax increases.

City councilors in Bangor, Maine, decided to remove the option for public comments at city meetings via Zoom after four weeks of disruptions by agitators who joined meetings under fake names.

AI technology is quickly placing itself at the center of digital government tools. But the goals in using it remain the same: improving efficiency, saving money and achieving better outcomes for residents.

RapidSOS, backed by Black Rock, acquired the Canadian company as gov tech suppliers race to sell the last tools for emergency calls and responses. It follows a larger Axon acquisition announced last week.

The Lagunitas Creek Spawner Dashboard is a resource offered by the Marin Municipal Water District, and it shows nesting grounds for coho, chinook, pink and chum salmon as well as steelhead trout.

With the average cost of breaches on the rise, cybersecurity must be regarded like any other disaster, according to the Local Government Cybersecurity Alliance. Residual costs of incidents must be accounted for, a co-founder said.

Los Angeles County is using new technology in its L.A. Found program, which aims to help the county find people with Alzheimer’s, autism, dementia, or other cognitive conditions who may wander.

As state and local agencies worry about cybersecurity budget cuts and increased attacks, public officials and researchers try to build a network to boost digital defenses. Leaders of the effort discuss their aims.