Local Government

The City Council is set to consider financial support for OnLight Aurora, a city-connected organization established to manage Aurora’s fiber network, amid ongoing budgetary issues at the organization.

A resignation letter from the city’s chief technology officer of four years surfaced on social media alongside changes to the city’s website, where his name was removed and a new acting CTO named.

A situation in Twiggs County, Ga., highlights the different approaches local governments in Georgia are taking to manage a surge in data center proposals with little guidance or regulation at the state level.

More than 200 Wisconsin law enforcement agencies use license plate reading technology. The state’s capital city, however, has so far not installed such cameras even as its neighbors have done so.

Heidi Norman, who has served as permanent CIO of Pittsburgh since 2022, and in other roles with the city since 2017, has departed at the request of the city’s incoming mayoral administration.

Two data center developers are eyeing undeveloped land in Foristell, Mo., a growing city along Interstate 70 that straddles the St. Charles County and Warren County border, officials said.

Middlesex Township Planning Commission members voted to recommend the approval of plans creating internal lot lines for the project, now known as Pennsylvania Digital 1.

City public safety officials plan to assess drones from a variety of companies this winter and spring, and subsequently ask the city council to approve funding for a lease agreement. The cost of a program is unclear.

Inside a growing push from state and community leaders to modernize re-entry, reduce recidivism and strengthen public safety through technology. Digital literacy, one said, can be a major barrier.

Washington state's most populous city has tapped Lisa Qian as its inaugural city AI officer. Her experience is largely in the private sector, including data-focused leadership roles for LinkedIn and Airbnb.

Craig Hopkins, the Texas city’s technology leader of eight years, will retire in early 2026. Officials are mounting a recruitment for a new CIO to oversee a department with more than 340 staff.

The City Council has approved three contracts to replace its veteran accounting, payroll and human resources management software. A consulting firm will help with oversight and advisory services.

As governments at all levels continue to embrace new developments in artificial intelligence, cities are using automation for everything from reducing first responder paperwork to streamlined permitting.

Lorain County Transit has received a $2.7 million federal grant to expand its Via Lorain County microtransit service. The offering uses intelligent algorithms to serve riders more efficiently.

A township in eastern Washtenaw County has adopted rules that limit data centers to land zoned for industrial and commercial revitalization uses. The facilities are not allowed on land zoned for any other uses.

The Marin County Digital Accelerator takes an agile approach to gov tech, moving fast to get work done. A recent project found a “single source of truth” to modernize planning and permitting.

The Bismarck Municipal Court system handled nearly 87,000 new cases from 2020-2024 and saw a 40 percent caseload increase in 2024. Officials are examining what systems might be upgraded to handle the additional burden.

The chair of the City Council introduced a measure last month that would mandate using online software to enable better visibility into city and county budgets and finances. The bill passed its first of three Council readings.