GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY/Virtual government puts locals online
The Internet has forever changed private and public-sector service delivery models. Users who shop for airline tickets or books via the Web are now beginning to demand the ability to pay traffic tickets and water bills online. And cities and counties are employing “virtual government” to meet those growing demands.
Virtual government uses the Web and a local government’s infrastructure to streamline city/county services. Through online transactions, residents are able to request any city/county service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are able to pay traffic tickets, renew business licenses, report missed garbage pickups, and even anonymously report crimes.
Several Georgia cities have implemented virtual government systems to offer more efficient services to their rapidly growing populations. For example, Canton is using the Web to enhance customer
service and reduce administrative costs. Located approximately 35 miles from Atlanta, the city expects its population to grow 12 percent annually for the next 10 years.
Such a dramatic increase can place a strain on the most technologically advanced city, but the predicament was significantly magnified for Canton. The community of 10,000 (and growing) did not have standardized PCs or operating systems, centralized communications or financial systems, or Y2K-compliant hardware or software.
This year, the city cleaned house on its operating systems and implemented new hardware and software to create a virtual government system. In October, the system went live, giving Canton residents the ability to pay utility bills and taxes online. More improvements soon will be implemented to allow for less paperwork and faster processing of requests.”The solution provides long-term savings for the city and unprecedented benefits for our residents,” says Canton Mayor Cecil Pruett.
Just east of Atlanta, Conyers (population 8,000) also has launched virtual government services as part of a larger project to overhaul the city’s computer systems. City offices have been linked on a central network, and Internet and e-mail services have been deployed.
Conyers has a web-based help desk for residents to request sanitation service and street or utility repairs, or to ask questions and register complaints.
In addition, Conyers residents can access the web site to: * view the city council’s meeting agendas and minutes; * view government job openings; * complete permit requests; * view traffic reports; and * view business license listings. In late 2000, residents also will be able to pay property taxes and traffic citations via the Web.
As in Conyers, Rockdale County’s government has developed a public web-based help desk so that its 68,000 residents can easily communicate with city departments. Thirty departments, in turn, have been networked so that they can share information on taxes, human resources, finances and utility billing via an intranet.
“This system will enable our county government to run more efficiently, productively and cost-effectively than in the past,” says Robert Brown, information services director for the county.
With increased resident demands and population growth, cities and counties are forced to find ways to improve efficiency. Through virtual government, cities and counties can streamline their internal operations, and allow their residents to conduct business online, instead of in line at government offices.