https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Subscribe to GovPro
    • Manage GovPro Subscription
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
acc.com

Smart Cities & Technology


GIS/Public/private partnership builds online GIS

GIS/Public/private partnership builds online GIS

Citizens have grown to expect increased Internet access to their governments, but keeping pace with the demand poses a special challenge for local governments
  • Written by American City & County Administrator
  • 1st May 2000

Citizens have grown to expect increased Internet access to their governments, but keeping pace with the demand poses a special challenge for local governments with limited budgets. For many years, that was the case in Burke County, N.C., but now the county is setting a new standard for the way governments make information public. With the help of the local Board of Realtors, the county is providing 24-hour, online access to tax and land records through a web-based GIS.

The county had been looking for a computerized public access system for nearly a decade but could not find an affordable solution. Last year, however, Bill Davis and Clint Lytle, Burke County appraisers and members of the local Board of Realtors, located a potential online GIS in WebGIS.net from Anderson & Associates, Blacksburg, Va.

To avoid putting a financial strain on the county and to satisfy the public’s need for the system, Davis and Lytle convinced the Board of Realtors to sponsor the county’s system for its first two years of implementation and then turn it over to the county. “One of the problems we face today is that everybody wants the government to pay for something they need,” Lytle says. “If you’ve got the money, work with the government, pay for it, and get it.”

The setup fee for getting the county’s records online was $5,400, and the monthly service charge for hosting the data is less than $500. Setup took about two months.

The program uses a browser interface to simplify database queries for users, who need only point and click to call up geographic data and view online maps. Search and zoom tools provide access to property attributes, spatial data, flood zones and specialized layers, such as voting districts and zoning.

The system was deployed in November 1999, and the site averages about 600 visitors per week. In addition, foot traffic through the county office has decreased by 50 percent, according to Burke County GIS Specialist Scott Black. “Our appraisal staff has noticed a big decrease in the number of regular users, like realtors and surveyors, which frees us up to spend more time with the average taxpayer,” Black says. “We used to spend a lot of time faxing property record cards and mailing maps to people and businesses. Now that the information is available online, we can refer people to the web site.”

Tags: Smart Cities & Technology

Related


  • Artificial cities could pave the way to driverless adoption
    Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) have a future. That is without doubt but there is still a need to ensure that they will be safe on our highways and to ease the public’s safety concerns to increase their adoption over the next few years. CAVs need to be able to react to unforeseen events – […]
  • Buffalo, N.Y.'s 48 hours to navigate a mission-critical transition to remote work
    In Buffalo, N.Y., 311 is a vital lifeline for the city, providing an always-on call resource for the city’s 250,000 residents to reach city government. When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a stay-at-home order, city officials knew a surge of calls was coming, and they needed to act fast to keep their front-line communications channel open. […]
  • Hi-tech sewers can help safeguard public health, environment and economies
    In the wake of the coronavirus, economic recovery is top of mind for all city leaders, the majority of whom believe that investing in infrastructure and technology can spur a rebound. Yet current analyses indicate that we only have funding available to cover approximately 57 percent of infrastructure system improvements through 2029, leaving an investment gap […]
  • Three ways the public sector can minimize remote workforce PC refresh headaches
    Public sector IT organizations must find ways and tools to automate and streamline processes while minimizing hands-on IT involvement in setting up and migrating PCs

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Amazon Web Services unveils program to help government technology startups
  • AT&T unveils FirstNet innovations, including HPUE, vertical location, deployable offerings
  • As cities praise America’s return to Paris agreement, many have remained on course with climate actions and goals
  • Verizon: Building the next smart city

White papers


Discover How Public Sector Officials are Monitoring and Managing Overtime in This New White Paper

22nd February 2021

How to Assemble a Successful Government Grant Proposal

5th February 2021

The Rise of Procurement’s Next Normal

5th February 2021
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Using data to improve emergency response resources dlvr.it/RtVSc0

25th February 2021
AmerCityCounty

How small cities are tackling lead service line replacement dlvr.it/RtV9G8

25th February 2021
AmerCityCounty

COVID-19 and pivoting into a new year: It may be 2021, but did we really leave 2020? dlvr.it/RtQRcr

24th February 2021
AmerCityCounty

Six tips for making sure your dispatch is doing all the right moves dlvr.it/RtQBvl

24th February 2021
AmerCityCounty

New pandemic recovery tools for public transit dlvr.it/RtLJ61

23rd February 2021
AmerCityCounty

Artificial cities could pave the way to driverless adoption dlvr.it/RtJGZZ

23rd February 2021
AmerCityCounty

How city leaders can develop, manage and maintain strategic partnerships dlvr.it/RtGGYy

22nd February 2021
AmerCityCounty

Baltimore will distribute recycling carts to residents to encourage recycling dlvr.it/RtGB6n

22nd February 2021

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X