Excellence 2025: Connected Community, Equity & Access

Too often, residents and public sector employees experience the same frustrations — paper-based processes, red tape, and inefficiency that create distance instead of connection. For organizations relying on outdated legacy systems, it can be tempting to maintain the status quo and do only what’s required. But in a truly connected community, residents and government work together as partners to make their community thrive. Modern technology plays a key role in making that partnership possible. By linking systems, data, and people, it makes communication seamless, processes transparent, and services more accessible. As government becomes more open, trust grows. Residents feel more connected and engaged, becoming true partners in building safer, more involved communities. Public employees gain confidence and morale because they have the tools to better serve their neighbors. Leaders can capitalize on data-driven insights and make better informed decisions. When that happens — everyone thrives.

Celebrating Excellence in Connected Community and Equity & Access

Innovative organizations nationwide are improving access and creating more connected communities using solutions from Tyler Technologies. Tyler created the Tyler Excellence Awards to celebrate these inspirational successes. As 2025 winds down, let’s recognize recipients of this year’s awards for Connected Community and Equity & Access, announced at the annual Tyler Connect conference in May.

Streamlining Operations and Increasing Access

The city of Carson, California, sought an integrated solution to promote financial transparency, improve visibility into permitting and licensing activities across departments, enhance customer service, and streamline business license processing. To meet these goals, the city implemented Enterprise ERP, Enterprise Asset Management, and other Tyler products. As of May 2025, the city had:

• Issued 3,059 permits using Enterprise Permitting & Licensing.
• Reduced the time to issue permits and follow up on permit status by 55%.
• Received 928 citizen service requests via its Civic Access Portal and My Civic mobile app within the first 45 days after go-live, with an average resolution time of two days.
• Enabled online payments to enhance the user experience for community members and reduce the time staff spend managing payments and reconciling accounts.

Supporting Community Growth Through Technology

As the second-largest city in Arkansas and home to the University of Arkansas, the city of Fayetteville is tasked with maintaining a thriving local economy, workforce, and community. To continue meeting rising demands, the city has leveraged Tyler’s software for nearly 35 years and, by using New World ERP, has:

• Increased online payment adoption by 12% while improving resident satisfaction and easing administrative burdens.
• Offered convenient, user-friendly access to a community development portal for more than 11,000 users.
• Stayed current with upgrades and enhancements that strengthen performance and security.

Integrating Workflows to Increase Efficiency for Staff and Residents

The city of Palm Springs, California, aimed to improve resident engagement while streamlining the management of permits and licenses. With the help of Enterprise Permitting & Licensing, the city has:

• Integrated eight departments into one seamless workflow, improving collaboration, communication, and reducing delays across the city.
• Reduced onboarding time by 75% with all users now trained in a single system instead of multiple platforms.
• Issued 1,744 Simple Permits online in just over a year that previously required in-person staff time and resources.
• Eliminated 100% of paper applications and plans, cutting costs, improving sustainability, and streamlining documentation across departments.

Improving Safety and Operations While Saving Taxpayer Dollars

Facing challenges with the accuracy of their student ridership data, West Ada School District, Idaho, turned to Tyler’s Student Transportation solutions to streamline bus registration, improve route planning, and enhance transparency for families. With these tools in place, the district has:

• Empowered drivers with real-time ridership data that supports student safety through Tyler Drive onboard tablets.
• Established customized routing criteria to meet diverse student needs and provide access to the programs available to them.
• Enabled data-driven decisions that enhance service reliability, increase efficiency, and save taxpayer dollars.

More TEA Winners: Explore a complete list of 2025 Tyler Excellence Award winners and their stories.

How to Share Your Agency’s Excellence

Tyler clients: Do you see yourself among your celebrated peers? Learn more about the Tyler Excellence Awards recognition program and submit your organization’s unique story by Jan. 19, 2026!