How Small Cities Are Using Technology to Grow Resilience

Potential disruptions — from extreme weather to security incidents to economic downturns — are a constant reality for local governments. These challenges test the resilience of communities and the systems designed to support them. Impacts range from financial strain to reduced public trust, placing intense pressure on agencies to plan and respond effectively.

For local agency technology leaders, the risk landscape demands more than traditional contingency planning. It requires a forward-looking approach. Understanding current vulnerabilities is a critical first step toward strengthening digital resilience and preparing for whatever comes next.

Small Cities, Big Resilience Wins

In recognition of Small Cities Month, celebrated each June by the National League of Cities (NLC), Tyler Technologies would like to take this opportunity to applaud just a few of our small city clients using technology solutions to improve resilience.

Cyberattack Inspires Agency to Move to Cloud in 5 Days

Germantown, Tennessee, a suburb of 40,000 outside of Memphis, faced a challenge common to public safety agencies. Their IT department was stretched thin by the required maintenance of their on-premises servers and infrastructure. A planned move to the cloud was disrupted by a cybersecurity incident that took the Germantown Police Department’s computer aided dispatch (CAD) system offline. The agency moved its Enterprise CAD system to the cloud as a recovery option and worked with Tyler to successfully migrate in just five days.

Despite the circumstances of the move, the shift to the cloud provided immediate benefits. The public cloud offers unmatched flexibility and failover options, including scaling as needed, while downtime is greatly reduced. Network segmentation and other strategies protect systems. Agency leaders also noted that their existing cloud-hosted systems recovered from the incident far faster.

Tony Fischer, director of information technology for the city, said, “As a small organization, it’s difficult to compete against well-funded, well-trained cybercriminals. I never want to go through that again, so we’re glad our cybersecurity posture has been greatly improved.”

Improved Resilience With Online Utility Billing and Payment Plans

The Charlotte suburb of Statesville, North Carolina, — population 30,000 — is experiencing unprecedented growth. With limited online alternatives, residents had to appear in-person in Customer Service to pay monthly bills and make payment arrangements, which increased pressure on the agency staff assisting them. In addition, a growing number of residents had trouble keeping up with the cycle of mailed bills and in-person payments, falling further and further behind.

Statesville deployed Tyler’s ERP Pro and Utilities Pro to reduce pressure on their staff and better serve residents. The results have been dramatic. Routine payments are made online, allowing agency staff to focus on establishing new resident accounts or assisting residents with more complex business. Setting automatic payments helps residents stay on time with their bills, and payment plans can also be established online if needed due to personal or family hardships

Chief Information Officer Nikki Gregory shared, “Our payment arrangements decreased 81% in six months and payment arrangement failures decreased 30%.” City Manager Ron Smith noted the feedback the city has received, saying, “Our residents have reacted very positively to this change. It’s the norm to do business online.” 

Enhanced Productivity and Civic Engagement Through Technology

With a population of almost 18,000, Grovetown, Georgia, is part of the Augusta metropolitan area. Like many communities, they worked with an outdated ERP solution that forced them to rely on inefficient and manual processes. There was a lot of potential for error, omissions, and lost documentation. The system hindered Grovetown’s ability to provide their community with the transparency and efficiency residents expected.

They worked with Tyler to install the cloud-enabled ERP Pro, with additional functionality provided via the My Civic app. ERP Pro streamlined interdepartmental operations through access to real-time, centralized data. It also simplified audits and supported compliance with accurate, paperless records. Residents appreciate the increased transparency around their utility billing, payment options, and payment status. The comprehensive My Civic app helped Grovetown promote civic engagement and make residents their partners in enhancing the quality of life for the whole community.

“My Civic has allowed us to be more transparent in what we do and what we offer,” Kristal Singletary, staff accountant for the city of Grovetown, said. “Citizens can access the app anytime, anywhere. If someone runs into an issue, for example, a pothole on their street, they can enter the info into the app, and it gets submitted to everybody that needs to receive it.”

Resilient by Design: How Technology Supports Government

Resilience means being ready for anything — cyberattacks, natural disasters, regulatory change, budget pressures, or even evolving resident expectations. Learn how cloud, data, and AI help governments stay strong before, during, and after disruption.