Local Government

In office since Jan. 5, Mayor Corey O’Connor has been cold-calling CEOs of IT companies to invite them to move their operations to the city — part of his vision for its technology future.

Officials are considering how to comply with new federal rules around accessibility for people with disabilities. Meeting agenda packets are one area of concern ahead of the April deadline.

Rashida Richardson, who has a background in law and artificial intelligence, has joined Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration. There, she’ll assist the city’s data management office.

City CIO Zach Posner, who was previously CIO for Salt Lake County, will prioritize three things in his new role: governance, service delivery and AI. He was appointed in February.

County commissioners will vote on accepting a nearly $10.7 million federal grant that would help police spot and deal with unauthorized drones during 2026 FIFA World Cup games in June.

Officials in Weld County, Colo., will consider code amendments that would allow data centers in industrially zoned areas. Interest could provide an “economic opportunity,” a commissioner said.

An attack that has left the city largely paralyzed is now in its fifth day, with no end in sight, as the City Council announced a special session in part to adopt a resolution of a state of emergency.

Several Scioto County employees got fraudulent emails intended to look legitimate, and officials are looking into whether unauthorized people may have been able to access sensitive information as a result.

With more than a decade of experience managing enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity initiatives and large-scale technology projects, Richard Barbee will now lead Durham's IT operations.

The platform returns after its provider suffered a cybersecurity breach in November. The new iteration lets residents choose non-emergency updates, rather than having to see them all.

The city’s Utility Billing Division is no longer directly debiting customer bank accounts — instead requiring residents to use its third-party platform. The change is for security reasons, officials said.

Mayor Katie Wilson is pausing a planned addition of police CCTV cameras. The move is intended to let her administration audit their use protocols and potentially create more accountability and transparency.

Plus, new legislation would revive the FCC’s equity council if enacted, a report reveals connectivity gaps in tribal communities, some municipal broadband networks outperform their competitors, and more.

Northlake, located in North Texas, turned to Envisio dashboard technology to help manage capital planning. One of the town’s officials and an Envisio executive talk about the deployment and the future of dashboards.

Federal agencies are requesting access to state and local government data for immigration enforcement purposes. Some experts argue this could impact public trust, but protections can be implemented.

As AI and growing software supply chains make cybersecurity more complicated, there are also ways that organizations can and should strengthen their defenses.

Pasadena, Calif., will soon let its electric fleet use standard, publicly available chargers. In Texas, Austin Energy, a city-operated utility, is developing a charging strategy for its fleets.

The National League of Cities will work with tech company BRINC to educate cities, towns and villages on standing up drone-as-first-responder programs. That includes assistance on FAA approvals and training.