During its annual conference in July, the National Association of Counties and the Center for Digital Government recognized DeKalb County Government for utilizing technology solutions that enable and empower citizens, businesses and the government. The county won ninth place for counties with 500,000 to 999,999 citizens in the 15th annual Digital Counties Survey.

“DeKalb has made and will continue to make significant investments in new technologies,” said DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. “Efficient technology allows us to provide our residents and businesses with enhanced customer service, however they choose to interact with the county.”

The national survey measures county technology-driven performance and innovation. It evaluates counties on 10 characteristics, including transparency, mobility, citizen engagement, collaboration, security, personnel, connectivity, efficiency, resiliency and innovation.

“Transparency and accountability are core values for DeKalb County,” said DeKalb Chief Innovation Officer John Matelski. “The county is constantly looking for ways to enhance public visibility regarding its processes.”

Over the past year, DeKalb County has bolstered its technology in several ways, including:

• An enhanced legislation process management system featuring agendas, meeting minutes and on-demand videos that are available to the public.

• A newly launched website organized around citizen-centric themes. The mobile-responsive website allows ease-of-viewing across different devices.

• A focus on engaging citizens through social media.

• A dedicated cyber security team to manage and prevent threats.

• A restructured county IT department that emphasizes innovation with qualified and efficient staffing.