County Earns National Digital Excellence Award for 13th Straight Year
Leon County Government was named the highest-ranked Florida county in its population category and secured eighth place nationally in the 23rd Annual Digital Counties Survey. This distinguished recognition from the Center for Digital Government (CDG) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) highlights the County's unwavering commitment to leveraging technology to enhance services and streamline operations for its citizens. For the past thirteen years, Leon County has continually secured its position as a top-ranked digital county government.
“Leon County’s digital innovation continues to go above and beyond in meeting the service needs of our citizens and government,” said Leon County Commission Chair Brian Welch. “This national honor highlights the ongoing efforts of the County to provide the highest public service in the digital space.”
Now in its 23rd year, the annual survey conducted by CDG and NACo recognizes counties that excel in utilizing technology to align with county goals, save tax dollars through newfound efficiencies, boost transparency and cybersecurity, encourage citizen engagement, and proactively address citizen expectations. The judging process identifies the most outstanding counties that successfully integrate technology to support strategic priorities.
“When it comes to innovative use of emerging technologies, the County’s Information and Technology team continues to be among the best in the state and the nation,” said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long. “This recognition acknowledges the work they do every day for our staff and citizens.”
Leon County continues its steadfast focus on providing reliable and effective technology and telecommunication services across all government departments, catering to the needs of its ultimate end customer—the citizens of Leon County. The survey highlights the County's ability to harness innovative technologies, thereby increasing efficiency and fostering enhanced citizen engagement.
Throughout the past year, Leon County implemented many technological initiatives and systems to enhance internal efficiencies and deliver more effective services to its residents. Some of the notable initiatives that have contributed to Leon County's outstanding achievement include:
- Providing critical support in launching the County's redesigned and streamlined website, receiving 1.4 million visitors in 2024 and assuring accessibility and mobile support so all citizens would have full access to the information provided.
- Supporting five weather-related activations at Leon County’s Emergency Operations Center by managing digital experiences to keep our citizens and business owners informed of weather-related alerts, shelter information, sandbag locations, and road closures as the storms drew near.
- Sending 1,068,725 disaster preparedness messages to households, businesses, and nonprofits to promote resiliency within the community.
- Filling crucial needs in response to the May 10 Tornado Outbreak through the TEAM Leon Program, a rapid relief initiative providing critical financial assistance to households and businesses in the unincorporated area, bridging the gap until federal aid became available. By reducing application processing times to under seven days and engaging thousands of residents through targeted messaging, the program not only delivered timely aid but also highlighted Leon County's commitment to responsive, people-centered governance.
- Celebrating Leon County’s bicentennial year by creating the History in Your Hands: Bicentennial website, providing a wealth of historical story maps complete with photographs, maps and stories dating back more than 200 years.
- Creating three stand-alone public history kiosks displayed at the Courthouse, Florida's historic state Capitol Building, and the public library to provide hands-on education of Leon County’s history to the public in honor of the bicentennial year.
- Fully deploying the online permitting process to streamline permit requests and facilitation and improve the user experience.
“This award is a result of the collaborative efforts of every County department and speaks to the County’s commitment to its citizens,” said Michelle Taylor, Chief Information Officer of the Leon County Office of Information and Technology. “We are honored to receive this recognition for the thirteenth consecutive year.”
For more information, contact Michelle Taylor, Leon County Management Information Services, at TaylorM@LeonCountyFL.gov / 850-606-5500, or Mathieu Cavell, Community and Media Relations, at CMR@LeonCountyFL.gov / (850) 606-5300.
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About the Center for Digital Government
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.
About the National Association of Counties
The National Association of Counties (NACo) strengthens America’s counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings; and enrich the public’s understanding of county government.
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