Sacramento County strives to make life better for all its residents and business owners by using technology in innovative ways. The Center for Digital Government’s 2016 Digital Counties Survey recognized these efforts and placed Sacramento County in third out of hundreds of U.S. counties. The Digital Counties Survey provides an annual measure of county performance and innovation in using technology.
Rami Zakaria, Sacramento County Chief Information Officer, said, “We are constantly evolving our use of technology to align with County goals, create cost efficiencies, fortify information security, promote transparency and engage citizens. This third place ranking recognizes our tremendous work.”
The Digital Counties Survey vigorously assesses and identifies emerging best practices that advance the value of technology in counties across America. The key characteristics of accomplishments focus on the following:
- Open: Open Government / Transparency / Open Data
- Mobile: Mobility / Mobile Applications
- Engaged: Social Media / Portal / Citizen Engagement
- Collaborative: Shared Services / Collaboration Initiatives
- Secure: Cybersecurity Measures / Initiatives
- Staffed/ Supported: Hiring and Retaining Competent IT Personnel
- Connected: Broadband / Wireless Infrastructure
- Efficient: Budget / Cost Control / Performance Measures
- Resilient: Disaster Recovery / Continuity of Operations
- Innovative / Best Practice Initiatives
In the survey this year, Sacramento County highlighted the following technology efforts: improved access to County services, public meetings, documentation/agendas and open data; the modernization of the County’s most critical information systems; civic engagement created through technology; the incorporation of mobile-friendly websites and apps; collaboration of regional IT partnerships; and the implementation of adaptive, multi-layered cyber security measures and continuity of operations.
2016 Digital Counties Survey Ranking in 500,000 or More Population Category:
- 1st Wake County, NC
- 2nd Fairfax County, VA
- 2nd Montgomery County, MD
- 3rd Sacramento County, CA
- 3rd County of San Diego, CA
- 4th County of Alameda, CA
- 4th King County, WA
- 4th Miami-Dade County, FL
- 5th Oakland County, MI
- 6th Baltimore County, MD
- 6th Prince George’s County, MD
- 7th Bexar County, TX
- 7th Orange County, FL
- 8th County of Ventura, CA
8th Hennepin County, MN - 8th Westchester County, NY
- 9th Los Angeles County, CA
- 10th Chester County, PA
- 10th Cook County, IL
The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The Center is a division of e.Republic, the nation’s only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.