Local Government

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.

The renewal of a state grant program for local public agencies focuses on cybersecurity and other areas that involve gov tech. Officials encourage governments to partner on projects that could receive funding.

The County Council signed off on $34 million in contracts to update the enterprise resource planning system, which manages a variety of processes. A councilman wondered if it might streamline other county functions.

The Town Board approved the installation of the cameras on municipal property at its work session earlier this week, with the number of planned cameras dropping from eight to four.

The young company’s backers and supporters include several gov tech veterans along with officials from Nevada. Madison AI offers a chatbot and other AI-backed services to cities and counties and other local agencies.

Daniel Rister, a 26-year veteran of Cumberland County government, has been named its permanent chief innovation and technology services director after serving on an interim basis for about four months.

The state Office of Science, Innovation and Technology is partnering with a vendor to deliver broadband to Laughlin and Cal-Nev-Ari. American Rescue Plan Act funds are driving the work.