Every local government leader frets about property tax rates, millages, and the perennial “what will this mean for the voters?” question. But there’s another tax no one votes on, no one debates at a public hearing, and no one even names: the tax of bad technology.
It’s paid daily in wasted staff hours, residents who leave more frustrated than helped, and opportunities for growth that vanish somewhere between the fax machine and the filing cabinet.
We sometimes call this the “digital divide,” which sounds almost quaint, like something you could cross with a sturdy bridge and a little determination. In truth, it’s more like standing on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon with a polite wave.
Consider the numbers. New York City’s Office of Technology and Innovation: $780 million annual budget. Van Buren County, Michigan: $76 million annual budget….for everything.
Sure, comparing Van Buren County to New York City is like comparing an old John Deere tractor to a space shuttle, but the point is this: residents expect the same level of digital service whether they live in Brooklyn or Bangor Township.
And the consequences? Predictable, circular, and maddening:
- Small governments can’t compete for top tech talent.
- So we fall back on vendor contracts designed for larger players.
- Those contracts are costly and rarely fit our local needs.
- Which drains what little money we have, making us even less competitive.
It’s a treadmill where the incline button is permanently stuck at “steep.”
This two-speed system, big cities racing ahead while small local governments jog in place, isn’t just unfair. It’s unsustainable. At some point, residents stop caring why their services are clunky; they just know they are.
So what’s the way out?
I think there is an alternative, one that doesn’t involve buying a space shuttle on a tractor budget. I’m calling it the digital co-op model, and in my next piece I’ll share how we’re trying to build it, what it could mean for rural governments, and why it just might change the game.
Are you feeling the pain of trying to innovate in local government? Are you finding a way to do it, against all odds? What roadblocks are you hitting? Let me know. Let’s share ideas and make a difference.