Modernizing County Tech: Trends, Tools, and Talent

Associations empower government leaders with resources to enhance services for residents and improve their communities. The National Association of Counties (NACo) includes thousands of officials, bringing together leaders from across the country to shape national policies, share best practices, and strengthen counties.

In a recent appearance on the Tyler Tech Podcast, NACo CIO Rita Reynolds provided an update on the organization’s priorities and projects, focusing on the technology trends shaping county decision-making and strengthening communities in 2025.

Using a Compass to Navigate AI Readiness

According to Reynolds, NACo tracks the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) across all priorities, rather than just as a stand-alone priority. Workforce recruitment and training concerns are higher in the rankings as counties ramp up expertise with AI and, particularly, generative AI (GenAI). With corporate partners continuing to expand the use of AI components within their solutions, the demand for AI skills will only increase. Reynolds emphasized that counties should assess the use of GenAI tools by existing staff to determine where additional education or policy guardrails are needed to support productive use while protecting data, privacy, and other interests.

A major new NACo resource to help guide agencies as they determine how and when to bring AI into their operations is the AI County Compass. Reynolds described the two-year process undertaken by NACo’s Artificial Intelligence Exploratory Committee to analyze the AI landscape and provide recommendations, particularly about policy, ethics, applications, and workforce. NACo distributed the toolkit to all 3,069 counties in the country, and it is available on their website. A series of regional forums is underway to continue the discussion regarding AI, real-world uses in counties, and how to implement guidance in the toolkit. Reynolds noted that many counties already deploying GenAI solutions are focused on implementing chatbots either for internal or public-facing purposes to improve efficiency and access to information.

Guidance for the Future: How NACo Supports County IT Leaders

Rita Reynolds, CIO at the National Association of Counties (NACo), shares forward-looking insights on the evolving technology landscape in county government. Listen to the Tyler Tech Podcast.

Closing the Gap for Rural and Underserved Counties

Eighty percent of counties are small to midsize. Reynolds shared that many counties, especially rural ones, are concerned about their ability to recruit and retain a full-time CIO, given geographic distance and budgetary constraints. In response, NACo launched a pilot CIO Reserves program that connects counties with retired CIOs interested in giving back. Counties fill out a form to outline their needs, are matched with candidates for interviews, and then select the one they want.

Reynolds said that counties interested in the program are often seeking assistance with the implementation of dot-gov websites and related cybersecurity. Counties also frequently request assistance with assessing current technology infrastructure, systems, and service partnerships, as well as strategic planning.

Modernizing Legacy Systems, Creatively

IT modernization has moved up the list of county priorities, according to Reynolds, because of increased cybersecurity concerns, but also to capitalize on efficiencies and other advantages that AI provides. NACo has launched a legacy systems challenge, a gamified approach to fuel the conversation and encourage modernizing systems.

Reynolds said that the challenge emerged from a question. Which county government has the oldest legacy system? To participate in the challenge, counties submit an application describing their oldest system and why they need to modernize it, along with any videos or screenshots that can help make the case. A judges panel that includes NACo staff, members of the NACo Technology Advisory Council, and corporate partners will select at least one winner. The prize will be resources and services to help the county begin or advance its modernization strategy.

An Optimistic Technology Future Through Partnerships

Reynolds is excited by the growth in partnerships between county IT leaders and elected officials. Close collaboration is crucial to understanding the role of technology in maintaining the county infrastructure and striking a balance between budget and priorities. In addition, she sees an increase in both county-to-county and county-to-state collaboration on technology initiatives.