(BPT) - OpenGov and Cox Enterprises are bringing the cloud to your city, county, and state
By Claudia Arriaga, SVP of Customer Success and Support, OpenGov
One of the long-term — but somewhat hidden — effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the way it fundamentally changed how cities and counties serve their residents. As public servants swiftly shifted to remote work and led the charge on safety protocols like physical distancing, many city halls were closed to visitors. This meant that they had to figure out how to deliver essential services in a new way — moving many of them online. Instead of going to the clerk’s office to file a permit, contractors could do it through their community’s website. Instead of calling someone sitting at a desk in the public works office, residents could go online to share a photo of a pothole that needed attention.
THE PERFECT STORM
Now, four years later, a wave of modernization ripples through our government, expanding these digital services. What’s driving it: a perfect storm of increasing retirements, labor shortages, cybersecurity attacks, aging legacy software systems, and more.
THE WINDS OF CHANGE
Going digital enables cities and counties to meet the increasing needs of the public efficiently and equitably. That’s why Cox Enterprises invested $1.8B in cloud software provider OpenGov to accelerate the effort to bring the cloud to government. It’s an important signal to our nation’s public servants that they’re heading in the right direction as they strive to operate more efficiently, adapt to change, and strengthen public trust.
Nearly 1,900 local and state governments in America already use OpenGov to run the budgeting and finance office, procurement processes, and operational workflows in public works, community development, and more. From Los Angeles preparing for the 2028 Olympics to Cocoa Beach keeping pace with economic development, cities and counties of all sizes are leveraging the cloud to engage residents, run meetings online, and digitize so people can get more done faster.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
To find out if your community is among them, visit your city or county website to check which services are available online. Start by looking for links in the following three areas:
1. Permit applications
Fewer than 1 in 5 public servants say that residents are satisfied with their permitting and licensing process, according to OpenGov’s 2024 State of Local Government Report. This is due to limited hours at the clerk’s office, the inability to apply online, and the lack of visibility into where their application stands in the approval process. With 24/7 permitting and online payments, these barriers are gone.
2. Resident service requests
If contacting your public works department makes you want to pull your hair out, this one’s for you. Check your community’s website for a link to submit service requests, sometimes called 311. You’ll see a way to efficiently communicate your concern, and then sign up for notifications via email or text if you want to stay informed about the progress of your request — from receipt to resolution.
3. Budget books
Many taxpayers wonder what is happening with their city or county budget. A quarter of community leaders cite improving transparency as a top priority this year, but struggle to follow through on that promise. Check your community’s website for an online budget book that highlights spending by category in a way that’s easy to understand and aligned with the priorities in your community.
The good news: there is now more funding available to local governments than we’ve seen in generations. Now is the time for local administrators to future-proof their communities by modernizing each of their digital infrastructures.
