Tod is the managing editor of Governing and the contributing editor of our sister publication, Government Technology. He was previously the editor of Public CIO, e.Republic’s award-winning publication for IT executives in the public sector, and is the author of several books on information management.
THE FUTURE OF What’s Happening Now
Despite the pandemic, there are dozens of measures that have made it on to ballots nationwide. They range from abortion and police reform to redistricting, taxes and transit. Here are key results.
Arizona, California and Illinois are just some of the states that have significant tax measures on the ballot that could impact billions in state revenue for years to come.
Schools and colleges are relying on technology more than ever to deliver learning during the pandemic. Criminals are ready to exploit vulnerabilities with ransomware and other tactics. Help is needed, say experts.
Silicon Valley was going to help America keep track of COVID-19 with badly needed technology. Yet, states never embraced the idea, and tech firms couldn’t overcome privacy concerns. But the idea is getting a reboot.
The week in cybersecurity includes news about a surge in COVID-related hacking attacks on government and colleges and how facial recognition technology is losing ground as demands rise for police reform.
The week in cybersecurity includes news about proposed changes to California’s privacy law, federal aid to protect schools from cyberattacks and calls for the police to stop partnering with Amazon’s Ring surveillance service.
The world of government cybersecurity remains volatile as cybercriminals practice digital graffiti and public officials struggle to overcome disinformation about the purpose of contact tracing.
The pandemic has generated another round of work by states to craft some kind of tracking app that doesn’t violate privacy rules. Meanwhile, policymakers have turned their attention to cybercrimes and surveillance.
This week’s security newsletter follows the growing importance of contact tracing as it expands both manually and digitally. The tech field loves the app, but does the public?
This week’s newsletter looks at how the crisis has brought new challenges to cybersecurity leaders and what they are doing about it. And, will contact tracing — a key to helping us return to normal — jeopardize our privacy?
This week’s security newsletter covers the growing concerns about hacker opportunities while states and localities struggle to manage operations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, what to do about election security?
THE FUTURE OF What’s Happening Now
Communicating during a crisis calls for government to deliver a balance of credible, correct and timely information. It’s not easy, but tested strategies and tools are available.
The attack on the federal agency comes as government officials scramble to respond to the rapidly spreading virus as fears grow that the U.S. is vulnerable to cyber adversaries. Mobile voting security takes a hit.
Despite some no-shows at the RSA conference, the event showcased important information on cybersecurity. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles County, a $280 million voting system ran into technical issues during its debut.
Plus, Kentucky officials report regular scans of their election systems by foreign adversaries; surveillance becomes normalized thanks to the growing popularity of doorbell cameras; and more.
Never before have policymakers faced such daunting questions on regulating and legislating the growing impact of digital technology. We pick the most important issues they will grapple with this year.
While state election officials said they were generally satisfied with the support they were receiving from the Department of Homeland Security to secure election infrastructure, problems remain with planning efforts.
As the number of rides from transportation network companies has surged in recent years, governments feel compelled to charge higher fees to help pay for road congestion problems and to improve public transit.
This week, Governing’s Future of Security looks at police use of smartphone decryption tools, ransomware legislation and election hacking fears.
This week, Governing’s Future of Security takes a look at the latest developments in election security, ransomware and the growing use of surveillance tools, such as facial recognition, inside of public schools.
State legislatures will have a lot on their plates. They’ll deal with issues in wildly differing ways. We set the context for the 2020 session with an overview of abortion, election security, housing, immigration, net neutrality, pensions, pre-emption, recession fears, redistricting, vaping, and workforce.
The financial system for any major organization is complex and that includes state and local government. Efforts to expand the capabilities of finance through new technology can lead to different results as these two examples show.
The organization some refer to as "the Peace Corps for geeks" has launched a major effort to improve the way people apply for benefits.
After years of fighting the post-9/11 law that added security standards for ID cards, states seem to be on board. It's going to cost them, though.
The technology certainly has benefits, but some say they could be outweighed by its drawbacks.
The public sector has been notoriously slow to embrace technology. Is that finally changing?
The government is building a nationwide network that helps first responders communicate better during emergencies. To succeed, most states must opt in.
Governments have more data than they have the manpower to handle. Some recruit volunteers to help analyze it all, but they're far from being experts in data.
Many cities and towns are struggling to keep up with the latest technological advances. But in a few places, their bigger peers are willing to help.
Florida wants to cut its technology costs. But is the state going about it all wrong?
One state legislator's legal battle showcases how outdated laws can hamper citizen engagement -- and get officials in trouble.
Many public employees use unsanctioned software on work computers. It poses serious security risks.
The state revamped its procurement system so that it's not missing out on smaller, innovative firms anymore. The new process is already catching fire in other states.
New Mexico has a unique program that combines behavioral economics and predictive analytics.
Districts are experimenting with ways to get every student access to high-speed Internet. Right now, millions don't.
The state is on track to enacting first-in-the-nation rules about how banks respond to cyberattacks. Some say they're misguided.
The city is installing sensors that could reveal a lot about the best way for governments to use smart technology.
The White House just released a report on the future of artificial intelligence. Some governments are already using A.I., but it could have a far wider impact.
Agencies are broadening a few conventional tactics to prevent cyberattacks.
Palo Alto’s city manager wants governments to rip up the IT rule book to make better investments.
Technology is transforming the way police fight crime, making it safer for not only officers but also criminals and innocent bystanders.
Several big cities are decluttering and redesigning their government websites to make them easier to use.
It’s one of the hottest trends in the public sector, but it’s not easy to succeed with data.
States are not only anticipating a wave of retirements but also trouble filling the vacancies. How are they preparing?
The growing threat of cybercrime has exposed just how vulnerable police departments are to it.
It shows how technology can come to people’s aid -- sometimes faster than government.
More companies than ever now offer digital services and tools designed specifically for government. Here are a few.
America's power grid has gotten a lot of attention, but water utilities are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Even one of America's most connected cities is struggling to get everyone online.
Massachusetts has begun using data analytics to predict where they might occur.
New England’s most densely populated city is testing a new way to alleviate congestion and free up more space for public transit, pedestrians and bicyclists.
In their quest to make public records requests easier, faster and cheaper, some governments are publishing them online for anyone to see.
Automatic and online voter registration have proven to increase voter rolls and save money, yet many states are still using paper.
A recent audit finds California’s efforts are woefully inadequate. And that’s the good news.
While many places try to regulate or ban sharing-economy companies, a few are taking advantage of them to improve their emergency preparedness and transportation options.
Most have avoided upgrading the systems that run our biggest health-care program themselves. But some are looking to outsource.
The popular review site is giving public employees a place to directly engage with citizens. Whether that improves services or trust remains to be seen.
In Roanoke, Va., Facebook, Twitter and all their social-network cousins have a home in every government agency.
Critics say the now-popular technology needs to be regulated, but cops worry too much regulation will hurt their ability to fight crime.
For all of its advantages, cost isn't always one of them. But there are ways to keep them down.
What may seem like a great way to engage citizens may not be as effective as cities would like.
Some cash-strapped cities shut down their 311 services during the recession. But they can actually save cities money.
New CIOs need to learn the importance of marketing technology to leadership.
How did Los Angeles spend more than $1 billion to buy an iPad for every student and instead end up losing its leader and being investigated by the FBI and SEC?
Most cities are failing to tell their fiscal stories well or at all. New York and Chicago, though, offer models of true transparency.
Many departments have been using them for decades, and the technology for some recently improved.
Mobile technology has made a belated but much needed debut in human services.
Human error and outdated technology have miscalculated thousands of prison sentences and cost some states millions of dollars.
Technology has made it easier for people to commit tax fraud and for governments to catch it.
Wireless-connected devices offer financial benefits for local governments, but they come at a price.
Transit agencies are finally catching up to the private sector’s use of social media to improve their systems and increase the public’s trust in them.
Once tightly controlled by commercial publishers, legal codes are becoming more accessible online, thanks to the open data movement.
As data-driven services and programs have grown, so has the data disparity between the rich and the poor.
A recent survey reveals how local governments are using technology (both new and old) to engage citizens and improve performance.
States and localities can profit from it, and it’s time to start talking about how.
A recent survey of state CIOs shows how governments can modernize and run efficiently.
Everyone from Hollywood to state and local governments want in on the action.
The people who would actually use the first nationwide public safety wireless communications network have largely been left out of its creation, possibly hurting its effectiveness.
With 47 different state laws on what companies are supposed to do when they become victims of cyberattack, is it time for federal legislation?
Ferguson police are the latest of more than 1,000 departments to wear body cameras, which are proven to reduce officers' use of force and citizens' complaints against cops.
Can a model procurement agreement speed the adoption of cloud computing?
Most state and local governments in the U.S. are stuck in a desktop world with websites and services that don't work on smartphones and tablets. But not Utah.
Only 100 emergency call centers out of more than 6,000 across the country are capable of receiving and responding to text messages.
Cloud computing is a cheaper, more reliable way to manage electronic records than hard drives or paper -- yet a recent IRS scandal shows how governments at every level are slow to change their ways.
Local governments are using mesh networks to stay connected during outages, offer high-speed Wi-Fi and breach the digital divide. But it’s not perfect.
Some cities think the key to getting citizens to trust in and see the value of government again is developing civic technology that's proven to work.
A company called Urban Engines works with city transit authorities to figure out better ways to use existing infrastructure and to craft incentives to change people’s transportation behaviors and reduce congestion.
After losing hundreds of millions of dollars, the city is starting to clamp down on IT contractors to make sure taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely.
If the feds allow two of the biggest cable companies to combine, municipalities would lose even more power to create high-quality, low-cost publicly owned broadband services for their citizens.
The Spanish city is embedded with more than 12,000 sensors to help the government operate as efficiently as possible. It’s changing the way Europe thinks about cities.
How the small Middle Eastern country jumped from 49th to 28th in online service delivery should have state and local CIOs in the United States paying close attention.
The federal program that funds technology in schools spends about $600 million on outdated tools like pagers. The FCC wants to reform it, but how that happens is subject to political debate.
There’s a whole new generation of heroin addicts in rural areas and smaller, struggling cities, which have few resources to fight the epidemic and its affects.
Many state and local governments are still using the soon-to-be obsolete operating system, and the upgrade transition is proving very slow and costly.
Facing a national shortage of experts able to battle the growing number of cyberthreats, Delaware's new initiative to boost its cybersecurity workforce could be a model for other states.
Utah tests the state's appetite for wearable technology as part of an overall strategy to try to better serve mobile users.
More and more seniors are creating naturally occurring retirement communities, forcing cities to rethink zoning laws and how they provide services.
New technology makes it possible to turn ordinary streetlamps into data-gathering networks. But is it too much of a good thing?
Despite complaints about well-educated white people buying up houses in low-income minority neighborhoods, recent studies show that gentrification often helps the original residents.
311 systems have revolutionized the way cities gather information, allowing them to tackle small problems before they get too big. But running them can be extremely costly.
Recent audits reveal how poor strategic planning leads to lost opportunities for governments that are looking for new ways to deliver services at the lowest cost possible.
Several mayors have promised to tackle income inequality, but some cast doubt that cities can make a difference.
Late-night transit options may make a city more attractive to younger generations, but running trains around the clock has its drawbacks.
Once America's most popular form of urban transit, streetcars practically disappeared but have returned to cities with a vengeance.
HealthCare.gov is another reminder of the ongoing problems government has with technology. But success and innovation are possible, says an expert.
With homeownership at its lowest level in decades, the demand for rental housing is high -- and so are the rents.
Not only are landlines more reliable during disasters, rural residents and the elderly are concerned about the new generation of phone services that will likely be less regulated.
Outgoing Mayor Tom Menino, who was in office for 20 years, has launched what may be the first-ever transition blog to help his successor succeed.
Many school districts pay for students to bring iPads home and many government agencies allow employees to use their personal devices for work. But issues like who pays for devices when they break, get lost or stolen are unclear.
Doing what Congress failed to do, California became the first state to require websites to let minors delete what they post on social media. But the new law has already ignited a heated debate.
Hoping to reinvent the sprawling city, El Paso officials decided to teach the development community the importance of new urbanism. Now, other cities are following in its footsteps.
With the feds and states more marginalized than ever, cities -- and the mayors who run them -- are growing stronger.
A Governing survey shows strong support for government-run fiber networks, but it’s less clear how they will get built.
Funding cutbacks have reduced both the number of ferries that cross the Mississippi River and the schedules of those that remain, leaving commuters with few options.
As the cost of public safety continues to rise, some cities are thinking the once unthinkable: merging police and fire agencies into one.
Calls for reforming city taxi services are getting louder just as new technologies are making it easier to get a ride.
Two powerful women in Detroit are pushing hard for the city to focus its resources on fighting its high violent crime rate, which, in 2012, was five times the national average.
Some cities think they do, and are moving to change parking mandates to encourage more affordable apartments.
Small and midsize cities are behind in harnessing data to make a city run smarter. Dubuque, Iowa, is bucking that trend.
A new report gives the next mayor of New York City a set of innovative reforms that have proven effective and scalable in other cities.
The Rockefeller Foundation is awarding $100 million to cities willing to create chief resilience officers to prepare for and recover from disasters, which have increased in frequency and intensity due to climate change.
Cities like San Francisco and Chicago are running into resistance from drivers as they try to meet demand for more bike lanes.
Better ways of using data can speed up solutions to urban issues. But a number of traditional problems stand in the way.
The direction the agency takes under its next chairman will have major implications for governments, for growth and for innovation.
The historic tax credit, which has helped preserve thousands of old buildings in cities across the country, is at risk of being eliminated.
A new report says 488 states, counties and cities now have a plan that calls for streets that are "safe for all users of all ages and abilities."
After five terms, the city's longest-serving mayor will leave office at the end of the year.
News you should know about government and technology.
The Michigan city is rebounding, and its secret to success includes partnerships and a regional agenda.
News you should know about government and technology.
Over time, single room occupancy hotels became the housing of last resort for the poorest and most troubled segment of an urban population and have all but disappeared.
4 ways technology can help make guns safer, 5 up-and-coming social media sites and more.
Ed Koch, the lively, contentious mayor of New York City who died at the age of 88 on Feb. 1, left an indelible mark on the city where he lived and worked for most of his life.
Cars are being kept out of popular pedestrian areas worldwide and the movement is coming stateside.
High construction costs have made it virtually impossible to build new subways. But we still need them.
Chattanooga, Tenn., has leapt to the forefront of cities with ultra high-speed broadband and has accomplished the feat in a surprisingly old-fashioned way.
People love parks, but building a new urban park is expensive. It’s why so many cities rely heavily on public-private partnerships to build today’s urban parks.
San Jose has had its share of political troubles, from bribery to corruption, but nothing compared to the ticking pension time bomb.
New policies and reports buttress economic and social importance of high-density cities.
With convention attendance down 40 million people from a decade earlier, why are cities pouring money into building and expanding facilities?
Have cities reached the limit when it comes to cutting services? That seems to be the case in California where voters passed 71 percent of local tax and bond measures.
Can a collaborative network help 2nd tier cities?
The latest market for gaming isn’t in the suburbs anymore; it’s downtown, where developers are retrofitting existing buildings and changing the casino as we know it.
As the economy continues to take big bites out of arts and city planning budgets, this bottom-up approach is changing the look of some cities. Are governments ready to embrace these grassroots ideas?
Despite their aesthetic, economic and safety benefits, trees are disappearing from city sidewalks. Why?
Governing: State and local government news and analysis
In 1971, the Olin chemical company pulled out of Saltville, leaving the tiny town to fend for itself.
Participatory budgeting, which started in Latin America, lets citizens determine spending priorities.
Recent cutbacks in daily print schedules will leave communities less informed.
Cities are finding creative uses for these environmentally unfriendly spaces.
The upkeep and restoration of older city halls often become casualties of budgets squeezed by the Great Recession.
The park, which is part of a trend of turning urban, industrial spaces into green space, pairs a functional railroad with an amphitheater, walking trails, grassy lawns and more.
Form-based codes have emerged as a powerful tool for city planners who want to stop the sprawl that’s resulted from bad zoning rules.
To the delight of many, old streetcars are being restored to their former glory and put back into transit service in New Orleans, Philadelphia and Portland.
And it’s looking to tap the secret of other cities’ success in the post-manufacturing age.
These nine topics will shape debate in state legislatures in 2012.
Technology has spurred a renewed interest in street art. Cash-strapped cities are combating the costly problem with smartphones.
Governing: State and local government news and analysis
As more public employees use social media, mobile devices and cloud computing, cyberattacks are becoming a bigger concern. Is small-town America prepared?
Once popular, these car-free zones are slowly disappearing from the urban landscape.
Pension problems at the state level have been grabbing headlines for some time, but many experts believe the real trouble is at the local level.
The city is clearing land to rebuild its downtown using a unique business model that some say could be a game changer.
Despite the recession, which usually spurs a rise in law-breaking, violent and property crimes have dropped for the fourth year in a row. How can this be?
Small urban manufacturers offer economic benefits to cities and could flourish with federal policy support.
Morgantown, W.Va., is the only place in the world where riders can hop into cars and travel from point to point without stopping at other stations along the way.
When New York City replaced a car lane with a bike lane, it exposed the tricky problem of adding another form of transportation infrastructure to a city.
Higher maintenance costs in urban areas have led to a serious lack of grocery stores for city dwellers. States and cities are working on ways to get them back.
Most experts agree little is being done to make cities more age-friendly, but some cities are taking steps.
City motorists need to remember that streets aren't just for cars anymore.
The battle over public sector unions in Madison has thrust state legislators into the limelight. Meet some of the players in this slideshow.
Cindi Ross Scoppe, a columnist with The State, South Carolina's largest daily newspaper, is the recipient of the eighth annual Hal Hovey-Peter Harkness Award, presented by Governing for outstanding coverage of state and local government.
Interest in cities that have fallen on hard times in the Midwest and Northeast brings new cachet to living and working in the Rust Belt.
This photo gallery spotlights New York City's first and only water filtration plant, which will sit below a golf course in the Bronx.
Immigrant populations remain a key source of economic development for inner cities.
These topics will capture the attention of state legislators in 2011.
Only Pelham, Mass., can lay claim to having the oldest town hall in continuous use for town meetings.
Cities are using new grant money to install ‘chief volunteer officers.’
The 267-year-old tradition is alive and well in Pelham, Mass.
Are states shoring up their defenses enough to protect critical data and computer infrastructure?
Renting and returning to urban living -- where energy costs are lower -- could be in the offing.
The mega infrastructure project was supposed to make the city a less congested, more livable place to work and live. It has succeeded.
Cities in California and elsewhere look to save money by outsourcing public library services.
Downtowns, the soul of every city, are hanging on.
A new online tool calculates average transportation costs, shedding light on the affordability and sustainability of a community.
The city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, moved closer to bankruptcy after announcing it is broke and will miss a bond payment.
Cities are increasingly decking highways with piles of greenery and new development.
Public libraries aren't the only ones being targeted by budget cuts. State libraries, which serve as resources to legislatures and executives, are also just as vulnerable.
Does the return of a neighborhood mean its culture and the poor have to leave?
While researching the the streetcar's current popularity, the term "streetcar suburb" didn't mean much to this editor until he realized he lived in one.