21 government agencies and leaders show what digital transformation can achieve

2026 Digital Government Awards winners cut service delivery times up to 80%, reclaim thousands of staff hours, and operationalize AI to deliver trusted 24/7 resident services

Washington, D.C. – Granicus today announced the winners of its 15th Annual Digital Government Awards, recognizing 21 public sector agencies and leaders across North America who are delivering step-change improvements in service delivery speed and accuracy, operational efficiency, and constituent satisfaction through digital transformation and AI adoption.

The 2026 award winners highlight a clear shift across the public sector: agencies are moving away from fragmented tools and manual processes toward unified platforms that improve both staff and constituent experiences and support responsible AI adoption. As agency demands grow, the downsides of disconnected systems are becoming unavoidable—slow service delivery, staff burnout, reduced accountability, and erosion of public trust. This year’s winners show what’s possible when agencies rely on proven, government‑built experience platforms paired with expert guidance on content, workflows, governance, and team readiness. With this foundation in place, agencies can move more quickly from experimentation to production—delivering services up to five times faster, reclaiming as much as 75% of staff capacity, and providing reliable 24/7 access for residents without adding headcount.

“Congratulations to the 2026 Digital Government Award winners for the real, measurable improvements they’re delivering for constituents and staff,” said Mark Hynes, CEO of Granicus. “Granicus exists to support this kind of progress — helping governments deliver clear, accessible, and trusted digital experiences that save time, strengthen confidence, and improve outcomes.”

The 2026 Digital Government Award Winners

The award winners represent a cross-section of more than 7,000 public sector organizations that rely on Granicus’ Government Experience Cloud. GXC is the only platform purpose-built for government to provide a singleintegrated solution for the entire constituent experience, from first contact to completed service and performance insight. Winners also deployed Granicus’ AI-powered digital agent and analytics solutions, Government Experience Agent (GXA) and Government Experience Insights (GXI), to accelerate resident self-service and obtain real-time audience and experience journey analytics. Granicus’ digital experience experts worked side-by-side with agency staff to prepare content, workflows, and governance to ensure solutions drive their specific mission outcomes.

The winners showcase both innovation and positive impact for their constituents and communities through seven categories of excellence: Total Government Experience, Changemaker, Community Engagement, Operational Excellence, Service Delivery, Trust & Transparency, and Website of the Year.

By the numbers, 2026 Digital Government Award winners achieved:

• 95% resident satisfaction
• 80% faster service delivery
• 75% staff capacity reclaimed
• Near‑zero help desk tickets

2026 winners by category

Total Government Experience

City of Aurora, IL

Replaced fragmented website, 311, and communications with a unified community portal, creating a clear path from information to action, resulting in faster service delivery to residents.

“Revamping our digital experience has completely changed the way we support and address the needs of our residents. Through the Granicus suite of products, we have strengthened our relationship with the community, enhancing two-way communication and civic engagement.”  — Jon Zaghloul, Communications Manager, Aurora, IL

Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC)

Connected website, billing, project updates, and payments into a single digital experience, improving accessibility and transparency for residents.

“Our total website experience is part of Passaic Valley Water Commission’s commitment to providing top-notch service and transparency to our customers. From an enhanced way to pay online to our dedicated project pages, PVWC is dedicated to communicating more effectively with our customers, community partners and other key stakeholders. The tools and resources now available provide an opportunity for the public to manage their accounts, stay informed about projects and reach us with greater ease. We look forward to our continuously improving our visitors’ experience at www.pvwc.com.” — Marisah L. Potkalesky, Senior Technician, Management Information Systems, Passaic Valley Water Commission

City of Reno, NV

Transformed boards and commissions into one platform, consolidating records and appointments and cutting processing times from months to days while reducing costs through automation.

“Modernizing how Reno manages its boards and commissions was essential to strengthening transparency, accountability, and efficiency in how we serve our community. By activating technology we already owned and redesigning our processes, we reduced costs, streamlined appointments, and created a more accessible system for residents who want to engage in local government.” — Tyler Shaw, Agenda Manager, Reno, NV

Changemaker Award

India Mitchell — Clayton County, GA

Transformed open records from a compliance burden into a countywide service standard, delivering faster responses, clearer accountability, and consistent transparency across departments.

“Being a Changemaker in digital government means reframing legal compliance as public service and embedding transparency into the culture of Clayton County so public trust can flourish, and my goal is to make government transparency practical, consistent, and accessible. By aligning organizational culture, training every records custodian, and strategically leveraging GovQA, we have built a more efficient, accountable, and service-oriented open government program that brings clarity and confidence to our community.”  — India Mitchell, Staff Attorney, Clayton County, GA

Crystal Sprague — Unified Government of Wyandotte County & Kansas City, KS

Led a governed, people first rollout of Government Experience Agent (GXA), enabling multilingual, 24/7 AI‑ powered service while establishing enterprise content standards, safeguards, and analytics to expand access and free staff for higher‑value work.

“People at their core are the same. They can be fearful, and that fearfulness can put up barriers to being open to taking risks on their own. What you can do is give them the information and the trust to choose to make the risky choice. And when they make that risky choice, make sure that you’re illuminating how well it’s paying off, even if it’s paying off a little bit at a time.” — Crystal Sprague, Director of Performance and Innovation, Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas

Jon Zaghloul — City of Aurora, IL

Unified Aurora’s website, engagement, and communications into a single resident ecosystem, launching more than 50 projects and a 160,000-subscriber communications program that dramatically expanded reach, responsiveness, and two‑way civic participation.

“As the City of Aurora’s communications manager, my ultimate objective is to serve our residents, making all lines of communication and engagement as accessible as possible. By working closely with Granicus, the city’s Information Technology Department, and the city’s Communications and Marketing Department, we were able to truly change the game for our community members, amplifying their voices while establishing a more streamlined communications process.” — Jon Zaghloul, Communications Manager, Aurora, IL

Community Engagement

Beaufort County School District (BCSD)

Replaced scattered, low-participation outreach with an always‑on hub to centralize learning, surveys, and updates, engaging more than 10,000 stakeholders and supporting 22 initiatives with consistent, two‑way input.

“Implementing [Granicus’ Sentiment & Feedback solution] was important because it modernized the organization’s public engagement approach, making it easier for constituents to access information and participate in decision-making regardless of location, time, or schedule. As a result, the initiative broadened community participation and created more consistent, meaningful opportunities for residents to share input and stay involved in local initiatives.”  — Cristin Casper, External Engagement and Strategic Communication Specialist,
Beaufort County School District.

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)

Extended reach to underrepresented communities in its Safe Travel For All initiative using multilingual tools and hotspot mapping, exceeding participation goals by 50%.

“The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s Safe Travel for All engagement hub allows for meaningful community engagement — rooted in lived experiences, two-way communications, and meeting people where they are — and helps inform a holistic approach to traffic safety. As a result, the agency and its partners developed six safety action plans that will help municipalities and counties obtain government funding for roadway improvements, representing communities’ desires to improve traffic safety and save lives.” — Natalie Kuriata, Principal, Communications and Engagement, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

City of Penticton, BC

Used segmented, multi-channel digital engagement to obtain input from thousands of residents to inform long-term planning for waterfront access, amenities, and preservation.

“The Esplanade is an underutilized section of Penticton’s waterfront along Okanagan Lake, and this project sought community feedback on opportunities to enhance this public amenity over the next 20+ years. Our digital engagement strategy included a recorded video tour and affixing QR codes throughout the area to raise awareness of the project and the opportunities for the public to get involved. The digital tour video has over 11,000 views on Facebook and over 900 views on YouTube. In addition to hundreds of in-person event attendees, this digital engagement strategy helped significantly boost community awareness and engagement in the project.” — Steven Collyer, Housing and Policy Initiatives Manager, Penticton, BC

Operational Excellence

Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT)

StModernized utility permitting through an end-to-end consolidated platform, cutting technician time by 60%, automating 17,000 notifications, and reclaiming more than 1,200 staff hours annually through a single, transparent workflow.

“The digital transformation of the PBOT’s utility permitting process streamlined operations, reduced manual effort, increased transparency, and greatly improved the customer experience. Overall, AMANDA has reshaped permitting workflow at Portland Bureau of Transportation, reducing manual effort, improving transparency and delivering measurable gains in processing speed and customer experience.”  — Shruthi Murthy, Division Manager, PBOT Technology Services

City of Calabasas, CA

Replaced a 7,000‑person paper waitlist for a public recreation center with automated digital forms and workflows, reducing staff time by 75% — and disputes by 80% — while delivering a fair, timestamped, resident ‑friendly enrollment process.

“This initiative is important because it replaced an outdated paper waitlist at the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center with a fair, transparent, and efficient digital system that better serves residents and supports staff operations. The impact has been significant, with waitlist management time reduced by about 75%, disputes dropping by an estimated 80%, and residents gaining a more accessible and reliable process for joining one of the city’s most in-demand facilities.”  — Erica Green, Community Services Director, Calabasas, CA

Town of Queen Creek, AZ

Simplified complex, multidepartment records requests with automated workflows and real‑time status tracking, minimizing staff burden and reducing turnaround time from weeks to just five days.

“Winning the Granicus Digital Government Operational Excellence Award is a testament to our commitment to modernizing the way we serve our community. Implementing [Granicus’ Records Request Management solution] allowed us to transform our public records request process that was often a complex and time-consuming task, into a streamlined and user-friendly experience.”  — Victoria Roedig, Deputy Town Clerk, Queen Creek, AZ

Service Delivery

Arlington National Cemetery

Used real ‑time, location-based SMS during Wreaths Across America to safely guide thousands of attendees, improving wayfinding, volunteer coordination, and on‑site communication without disrupting the event’s dignity.

“Using text-to-subscribe has allowed us to reach our target audiences for large scale events in a new way. We are able to quickly communicate important safety and logistical messages to visitors while they are onsite.”  — Olivia Van Den Huevel, Public Affairs Specialist.

Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) – Meter Upgrades

Moved a meter replacement program to an end-to-end resident engagement platform, supporting more than 470,000 upgrades with personalized communications and surveys, reducing missed appointments and earning a 95% positive customer rating through clear, proactive communication at every step.

“After months of relying solely on traditional mail to reach customers about required water meter upgrades, adding email to our toolkit expanded our reach and increased adoption. We’ve built on that success with timely alerts about defective meters and post-appointment surveys that keep customers informed and engaged.” — Paul Fugazzotto II, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Public Affairs, Philadelphia Water Department.

City of Vaughan, ON

Fully digitized permitting processes, cutting intake time from 10 days to two while automating reviews, document handling, and resubmissions for faster, clearer service.

“This initiative digitizes and modernizes the City of Vaughan’s entire application lifecycle, strengthening service excellence by improving efficiency, data quality, and transparency; and through the integration of electronic plan review and tax systems with AMANDA, it has significantly accelerated permit processing, enhanced data integrity, automated key workflows, and greatly increased efficiency for staff and applicants.”  — Maria Ruberto, Program Manager, City of Vaughn

Trust & Transparency

City of Kingston, ON

Led a transparent, multichannel engagement effort for a proposed multisport stadium, using advanced engagement tools to regularly communicate updates, publicly answer every question, and analyze feedback to equip civic leaders with a clear, representative community mandate.

“When the City of Kingston was presented the opportunity to partner in building a multi-sport stadium in central Kingston, hearing perspectives from as many people as possible was essential to advising City Council on their decision. By publicly addressing every question, adjusting methods to community needs, and incorporating supporting and opposing perspectives into the feedback analysis, the team demonstrated their commitment to upholding the values of municipality’s public engagement framework.” — Jen Pinarski, Communications and Public Engagement Manager, City of Kingston

Philadelphia Water Department (PWD)

Used segmented digital communication to address potential lead service lines, helping households, schools, and childcare centers take action while strengthening trust around a sensitive public health issue.

“Philadelphia Water Department’s Lead Plumbing and Water Quality outreach helps residents understand the high quality of their drinking water and how to keep it safe at home. Through this work, we’re identifying service line materials, testing for lead in homes, schools, and childcare facilities, and advancing the replacement of all lead service lines citywide. By adding targeted email bulletins, we’re amplifying the reach and impact of this essential work.” — Paul Fugazzotto II, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Public Affairs, Philadelphia Water Department

City of Newport News, VA

Expanded open data access and launched a public FOIA
request archive, increasing traffic 68% year over year while improving compliance, consistency, and public confidence.

“Newport News’ goal was to implement digital solutions best practices to increase the city’s accountability and transparency to its constituents, improve the public’s knowledge of the city’s activities and operations, modernize the city’s response to data needs identified by the public, and foster civic engagement. Traffic has increased 68% year over year since implementing the archives function; the city’s Open Data Policy and Program now has over 150 data assets present on the Geohub, with more on the way.” — LaDonna Seely, Freedom of Information Act Coordinator, Newport News, VA

Website of the year

City of Port St. Lucie, FL

Redesigned the city’s website around resident behavior and analytics, surfacing high ‑demand services and simplifying navigation to deliver a mobile-first digital front door for a fast-‑growing community.

“Our website redesign reflects the City of Port St. Lucie’s commitment to delivering accessible, user-focused digital services that meet the needs of our community. The project has significantly improved residents’ ability to find information, complete tasks online, and stay connected with their local government.”  — Patricia D’Abate, Webmaster, Port St. Lucie, FL

Richland County, SC

Created a modern service delivery platform and website with plain language and live pages, retiring more than 8,000 PDFs, increasing self-‑service, and reducing help‑desk tickets to near zero.

“A modern website is the foundation of a connected county, serving as a critical tool for streamlining service delivery and fostering a more informed and engaged public. The Richland County Government website redesign is a major part of reaching the strategic goal of positive public engagement through effective, accessible communication and convenient access to services.” — Aubrey K. Jenkins, Systems Analyst and Project Lead, Richland County, SC

City of West Palm Beach, FL

Launched a new service delivery platform and website serving 1.3 million users with daily accessibility audits, a switch-ready hurricane homepage, and a 94.8 QA score — well above government benchmarks.

“The City of West Palm Beach’s award-winning website reflects our commitment to accessibility, transparency, and modern, user-centered service. Since launch, WPB.org has served more than 1.3 million users, enhanced access to essential and emergency information through tools like the switch-ready Hurricane Homepage, and earned a 94.8 Quality Assurance score — well above the national government benchmark — demonstrating measurable impact and reliability.” — Kathleen Joy, Director of Communications, West Palm Beach, FL

To explore the full list of award winners and watch their video stories, visit our Awards hub

About Granicus

Granicus is a global leader in customer engagement and experience technology and services for the public sector, providing a comprehensive digital platform across communications, websites, CRM, meeting and agenda management, records management, digital services, and destination marketing to help communities connect and thrive.