Survey Finds U.S. Counties Becoming More Transparent, Creating Efficiencies and Using Social Media

SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwired - July 09, 2015) - The Center for Digital Government (CDG) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) have announced the 2015 Digital Counties Survey winners. The annual survey recognizes leading examples of counties using technology to improve services and boost efficiencies. Here's a look at this year's first-place winners:

• Fairfax County, Va.'s open data portal creates transparency for citizens. The website's budget pages include a glossary of all budget-related terms and acronyms and a training video to view the county's operations and how tax dollars are spent.

• Chesterfield County, Va. created strategic planning documents such as Blueprint Chesterfield and the Information Technology Investment Model to align the county's goals with the technology solutions, supporting county operations and creating cost savings.

• Catawba County, N.C. makes it easier for citizens to connect to information about government services by increasing the use of social media. They have 10 Facebook, five Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, and Foursquare accounts and a YouTube channel.

• Allegan County, Mich. created a model for other municipalities across the State of Michigan by partnering with two other counties. They developed a Procurement Consortium that uses a reverse auction process.

The survey, conducted by CDG and the Digital Communities program, in partnership with NACo, identifies best technology practices among U.S. counties.

"Congratulations to this year's winners for their work to continually innovate in an ever-changing technology landscape and proactively address citizen demands and expectations," said Center for Digital Government Executive Director Todd Sander.

"Counties across the country are harnessing technology to enhance services, maximize efficiency and save money," said NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase. "The Digital Counties Survey recognizes county innovation that strengthens communities and builds a stronger America."

Center for Digital Government thanks the underwriters for this year's survey: Accela, CDW-G, and Laserfiche.

CLICK HERE for the full listing of top 10 winners!

The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government. CDG is a division of e.Republic, the nation's only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) unites America's 3,069 county governments. Founded in 1935, NACo brings county officials together to advocate with a collective voice on national policy, exchange ideas and build new leadership skills, pursue transformational county solutions, enrich the public's understanding of county government and exercise exemplary leadership in public service.