In this three-part series, we'll take a closer look at these efforts and the impact made.
Sonoma County
Place: 8th
Population category: 250,000 to 499,999
Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital services all got attention this past year in Sonoma County as the government continued replacing older technology with newer tools. The county expanded online services so more forms and requests can be completed from a phone or computer instead of on paper. This includes new digital forms that let residents share feedback, apply for public defender services and access help in multiple languages. The changes have also made it easier for county staff to track requests, spot trends and improve services over time.
AI has become another helpful teammate as well. Sonoma County created countywide rules for using AI safely, then put the technology to work in practical ways. All county employees now have access to Microsoft Copilot Chat to help with writing, research and other daily tasks. AI is also helping staff create project plans faster, review phone bills to find ways to save money and match records across the county's justice system with greater accuracy.
The county also strengthened cybersecurity while continuing to replace older technology. It improved its cybersecurity ratings, moving county websites and email to a .gov domain to make official services easier to recognize. It also built a cloud-based disaster recovery system that can restore important services much faster following an emergency.
Ventura County
Place: 8th
Population category: 500,000 to 999,999
Ventura County earned an eighth-place spot in its population category in this year’s survey for its commitment to using technology to improve internal and public-facing services. That push has included a structured, enterprisewide adoption of AI tools and governance policies, established through the Information Technology Committee. These tools are helping staff boost efficiency and better serve constituents.
The county has made a significant push to improve accessibility for residents with the update of 75 public websites, surpassing its self-imposed goal of 85 percent ADA compliance goal by 10 percent.
Like so many other regional governments, Ventura has a laser focus on improving its cybersecurity foundation. This work included the hardening of systems and firewalls, as well as emergency communications technology.
*The Digital Counties Survey is conducted by the Center for Digital Government, part of e.Republic, Industry Insider — California's parent company.
