Recently, StateScoop published an informative article on 2024’s five most compelling IT stories for states. These will continue to be hot topics in 2025. What’s more, they are as relevant to city and county governments as they are to states. Let’s look at these trends through the lens of local government:
Trend #1. The Urgent Need for Improved Data
For years, software companies have focused on the importance of data stewardship and governance in helping organizations acquire and maintain accurate and secure data. The emergence of AI makes data quality even more critical. Before they can leverage AI, local government agencies will have to ensure their data is in good order.
Data Stewardship: If they haven’t already, city CIOs will need to put in place data stewardship processes to validate and clean data, comply with data privacy requirements like encryption and access, and manage metadata.
Data Consolidation: City governments hold large volumes of data, some of which remains locked up in siloed legacy systems. Consolidating data from several sources into one system makes it easier to maintain and faster to access. A virtual CIO (vCIO) has the deep experience needed to evaluate data storage solutions and help design a strategy for migrating data.
Beyond AI: Even for agencies that don’t have AI capabilities in their 2025 plans, quality data helps city and county leaders make better, data-informed decisions.
Trend #2. AI Adoption
The StateScoop article references an Ernst and Young survey on the reasons why governments are lagging on AI adoption. AI poses some complexities for city and county agencies, beyond the need for data governance.
Data Security: Local governments must prioritize the security of the data they hold since it includes the sensitive information of its citizens like personal, financial, and health-related data. A data breach could lead to identity theft, monetary loss, or discrimination.
Social Engineering: AI also gives malicious actors access to sophisticated tools to launch damaging attacks against government agencies. Cybercriminals can deploy automated, highly convincing phishing emails and create realistic deepfakes for social engineering scams. It’s critical to train staff – usually the weakest link in an organization’s security – in how to identify the dangers in their emails. Security training products like KnowBe4 can help staff become more intentional in the emails they open and click on.
Use by Law Enforcement: AI also expands policing capabilities with functionality like facial recognition, voice transcription, and predictive intelligence. However, AI-enabled policing tools can possibility introduce bias if deployed without adequate oversight.
The Need for AI Standards and Training: Government entities are responsible for structuring AI usage to ensure their employees adhere to the highest ethical standards. As the Ernst and Young survey warns, “the lack of such structures is not merely an administrative oversight; it is a fundamental vulnerability that could undermine public trust and the efficacy of AI initiatives…. We have to nurture a workforce that is not only technically adept but also equipped to navigate the ethical and strategic use of AI in an evolving landscape of public service.”1
Trend #3. Cybersecurity
Security continued to be a concern in 2024 – the StateScoop article highlights the rise in targeted attacks against infrastructures like water, power, and transportation. Local governments need to ensure their data and systems remain secured by:
Defining the Attack Surface: Cities support a range of digital properties. They need to comprehensively audit their websites, servers, email systems, cloud services, and network devices to identify where attacks could arise.
Patching Software Vulnerabilities: Patching software bugs as soon as they are identified is a fundamental security practice and critical for maintaining secure systems. Unpatched software provides attackers with known entry points into systems and networks and can lead to data breaches, malware infections, and other system disruptions. The longer a vulnerability remains unpatched, the greater the window of opportunity for attackers to discover and exploit it.
Proactive Monitoring: Continuous monitoring enables early detection of suspicious activities like unauthorized access attempts, malware infections, and data breaches, thus facilitating fast response and mitigation. Beyond reactive detection, proactive monitoring can identify system vulnerabilities before they can be exploited, strengthening overall security posture, and reducing the risk of successful attacks.
Trend #4. City Government Response to Natural Disasters
Last year the US experienced several serious natural disasters like Hurricane Helene, which impacted Florida, Georgia, and Western North Carolina, and Hurrican Milton which produced storm surges and tornados in Florida. Climate-related disasters like these are predicted to grow, and cities need to be able to assist when those disasters land on their doorsteps. While cities can count on FEMA and state assistance, there are some actions they can take to help in case of disaster, or to mitigate the outcomes of disasters.
Moving to the Cloud: Hurricane Helene was a reminder that nowhere is safe from weather disasters. City IT leaders should consider moving on-prem servers to the cloud. By using cloud-based servers, they can ensure that even if disaster strikes, data and applications are accessible from other locations.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Cities can use Geographic Information Systems to predict flooding from major storms. GIS integrates a variety of geographic data, like elevation maps, historical flood data, land use information, and infrastructure locations, to identify vulnerable areas, predict potential flood zones, and model impacts on critical infrastructure and residents. This information enables cities to implement mitigation measures like flood barriers or improved drainage systems.
Public Safety Technology: Modern public safety technology can help cities manage and respond to natural disasters. Real-time communication systems and integrated data sharing networks enable first responders and emergency management personnel to coordinate their efforts. Drones and remote sensors can provide real-time situational awareness, allowing for better decision-making in rapidly evolving disaster scenarios.
Trend #5. Funding City IT Initiatives
Last year states finalized plans to use over $42B in Federal funding to help build out broadband in underserved areas. Unfortunately, cities face challenges when meeting their citizens’ needs on limited public sector budgets. However, there are some actions city CIOs can take to stretch their budgets.
Identify Cost Savings: City managers can consult with a virtual CIO to determine ways to save on infrastructure and software costs. A vCIO can often identify areas for cost savings like consolidating infrastructure, retiring older hardware, automating processes, and moving to the cloud.
Perform a Technology Assessment: Local agencies can identify redundancies, underutilized resources, and inefficient processes within their infrastructure with an IT assessment. An assessment can provide insight into ways to reduce costs, for example by consolidating and reallocating resources.
Move to Managed Services: Cities often don’t have the budget to keep a full team of IT professionals on staff. Managed IT services are a cost-effective alternative, giving you a team of IT professionals at less than the cost of a full-time IT employee. Managed services providers are staffed by experienced IT professionals who can provide guidance on technical issues and best practices.
If your city needs help with IT infrastructure, public safety, cybersecurity, or other technologies, talk to our local government specialists! We are experienced in supporting cities like yours.
1https://www.ey.com/en_us/industries/government-public-sector/insights-into-the-integration-of-ai-in-government
