Local Government

The Waco City Council adopted two resolutions earlier this month for contracts that will take next steps in mobility planning for the city, suburbs and eventually all of wider McLennan County.

The ninth annual Government Experience Awards celebrates the states, counties and cities that are leveraging technology as a strategic tool to better deliver the services residents need when they need them.

The City Council wants a promise from an Internet fiber company that it will leave no neighborhood behind as it expands, and it has delayed granting approvals until it gets an assurance.

The city’s new IT Innovation Hub gives tech companies a platform to pitch solutions that support civic priorities. Submissions could advance to become pilot projects or stimulate requests for proposals.

Online access has been restored at city libraries and recreation centers, following a full system shutdown in the wake of a July ransomware attack. Safeguards include segmentation and simplified logins.

Mayor Cara Spencer on Thursday announced new rules for building data centers in the city, but stopped short of a yearlong moratorium officials weighed last week.

From Arizona to Maine, 17 projects will join the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s RAMPS initiative, to strengthen local pipelines of cybersecurity talent. A lack of personnel persists even as cyber attacks scale up.

The Akron suburb is upgrading a major corridor with technology to increase communication among vehicles and travelers, and give special priority to emergency vehicles, transit buses and snowplows.

The library was targeted in 2024 by someone pretending to be a vendor, according to an audit. Since the incident, vendor verification measures have been instituted, and cybersecurity training for library managers.

A new report from the Center for Digital Government identifies the fundamentals that agencies need to advance the effective use of data in government.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and some groups in the public sector have already announced plans to address a range of topics, including password protection, phishing and social media safety.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments and the Southwest Research Institute will develop a Transportation System Management and Operations data exchange platform, to improve coordination on regional mobility.

An entity has claimed responsibility for the Sept. 4 cyber attack on the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. It’s not clear whether it has demanded a ransom, but leaders are working “around the clock” on a restoration.

Unswayed by neighborhood opposition, Statesville City Council unanimously approved a developer’s planned data center on 330 acres of land previously used for farming in western Iredell County.

Veteran technologist Alison Deigan, who spent two decades in federal service and oversaw a $150 million technology portfolio, has been appointed the county’s new IT director. The role, she said, has personal significance.

Following a new state mandate that municipalities update IT policies, village officials are mulling a new cybersecurity policy. Its precise details, due to state requirement, may not be publicly available.

Three law enforcement agencies are seeking to establish a $10 million self-governing authority within a statewide information sharing agreement, a shift from the current model overseen by the county.

The new plan includes revised policy informed by the nearly 40 AI pilot projects already underway. The city will also be hiring a new AI leadership position to implement the updated plan.