Government Technology and the Center for Digital Government* recently shared the annual list of Digital Counties winners, which included seven Florida counties. Stay tuned to Industry Insider — Florida for the final county coming in this week.
Continuing this year’s list is Sarasota County, which took seventh place in the 250,000 to 499,999 population category.
Sarasota County’s information technology team describes its vision as providing exceptional technology services that are innovative, collaborative and customer-focused. One of the county’s latest efforts includes using technology to enhance communication, increase accountability and foster community involvement. One way it did this is by adopting Zencity Engage, a platform that helps collect and analyze data to better understand residents’ needs. Currently, the county uses the platform within its library department to gather feedback on community needs and expectations for a new library opening in Longboat Key. The solid waste department is also using Zencity to communicate upcoming changes with its garbage service provider in 2025.
The county aims to have all municipalities’ public notices in one place, scgov.net, so residents don’t have to visit multiple websites to get the information they need. So far this has been implemented with public notices from tax collectors and the local school board. Another notable tech project aims to bridge the gap between the digital world and reality by providing a Google Street View-like experience for all county facilities and parks. Sarasota is looking to implement a platform called Matterport to create a digital walk-through experience so individuals can virtually visit a location before physically being there, addressing Americans with Disabilities Act concerns and increasing accessibility countywide. The county also plans to expand its work in the following areas over the next 12 to 18 months: AI, machine learning, business process automation, emerging technologies, IT governance, sustainability and cybersecurity.
*Government Technology and the Center for Digital Government are both part of e.Republic, Industry Insider — Florida's parent company.
Florida Digital Counties Winners: Sarasota County
This year, seven Florida counties, including Sarasota County, were recognized for their innovative efforts and technology projects. The county has been active in using community engagement technology to communicate changes and offer information.
