Leon County Named Among Nation's Top 10 Digital Counties
National survey recognizes County technology for the 14th consecutive year
Leon County's use of technology to deliver faster, safer and more convenient services to residents has earned a top 10 national ranking in the 24th annual Digital Counties Survey.
The survey, conducted by the Center for Digital Government in partnership with the National Association of Counties, named Leon County the highest-ranked Florida county in its population category (250,000-499,999) and 10th nationally (tied) among counties of similar size. This marks the 14th consecutive year, every year since 2013, that Leon County has been top-ranked in the national survey.
"This ranking reflects what drives our work every day: using technology to meet residents' needs and make County services easier to access," said Leon County Commission Chairman Christian Caban. "Fourteen straight years of national recognition shows Leon County continues to set the standard for digital innovation in local government."
This year's recognition highlights County technology projects that produce measurable results for residents, including:
Big-event support: The County's existing fiber network delivered the information technology behind the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, meeting a $100,000 technology need while saving about $70,000.
The Main Library's new second floor: Residents made nearly 7,000 room reservations in the floor's first six months across 15 new multi-use spaces, including a recording and podcast studio, rooms for adult education and English-language learning, and the Career Corner workforce hub, which features a CAT excavator simulator, one of the few in a public library nationwide.
Stronger cybersecurity at lower cost: A new endpoint security solution protects the County and its eight partner agencies while cutting costs by about 50 percent, a savings of $570,000 a year. County systems passed three third-party security assessments in 2025, screened roughly 3 million emails while intercepting 19 percent as threats, and ran uninterrupted through three emergency activations.
Faster storm recovery: Artificial intelligence and County mapping data helped staff measure tornado damage to the tree canopy, identifying 238 acres of loss within the storm-affected area and saving an estimated $170,000 and months of manual fieldwork. Esri's ArcUser magazine featured the work in May 2025.
The County's survey submission also highlighted a staff workgroup convened in summer 2025 to draft an artificial intelligence policy for consideration by the Leon County Board of County Commissioners, new Citizens Connect app features that give residents emergency weather alerts, road closures and sandbag locations, and new mapping layers that support first responders.
"I could not be prouder of our Office of Information and Technology team," said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long. "Every one of these projects comes back to the same goal: streamlining County operations and serving our community better."
Leon County's Office of Information and Technology also provides shared technology services to eight partner agencies: the Sheriff, Courts, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, State Attorney, Public Defender and Medical Examiner.
"We are honored to be recognized among the nation's best for the 14th year in a row," said Leon County Chief Information Officer Michelle Taylor. "Our shared-services model lets one team deliver technology for the County and eight partner agencies, and those economies of scale mean real savings for taxpayers."
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. 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.
About the National Association of Counties The National Association of Counties (NACo) strengthens America's counties, serving nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate county 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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