Welcome to Skagit County

July 9, 2015

Skagit County recognized for exemplary applications of technology

MOUNT VERNON – The Center for Digital Government (CDG) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) announced today a list of 2015 Digital Counties Survey winners that includes Skagit County.
This annual survey identifies best technology practices among U.S. counties, recognizing leaders in application of technology to improve services and boost efficiencies.

Skagit County achieved fifth place recognition in the category of counties with a population under 150,000. Pierce, King and Snohomish counties were among top finishers in the category of populations greater than 500,000.

Skagit County’s selection citation stated: “A commitment to transparency is evident. Skagit County offers an impressive amount of property data via searchable database by address, owner, road or parcel number. Even more depth on tax valuation, purchase and sale data, recorded documents, permits, and more is also available to site visitors, with information dating back to 1977.”

The citation continues: “A location-based app getting more than 7,000 daily hits is another route to property data, providing everyone from real estate agents to pizza delivery drivers more information than Google. The CrimeMap app features an interactive jail roster, court information and case details on reported crimes. Updated every 15 minutes, incident information from most county law enforcement agencies is included.”

It concluded: “The county’s approach to cybersecurity is risk-based, laid out in a security policy now under development. All information is classified based on sensitivity, reserving the costliest controls for protected data. Coupled with new event monitoring capabilities, firewall upgrades, encryption and other protections, the county has significantly reduced its vulnerability to viruses.”
“Congratulations to this year’s winners for their work to continually innovate in an ever- changing technology landscape and proactively address citizen demands and expectations,” said Center for Digital Government Executive Director Todd Sander.

“Counties across the country are harnessing technology to enhance services, maximize efficiency and save money,” said NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase. “The Digital Counties Survey recognizes county innovation that strengthens communities and builds a stronger America.”

“We are very excited to be recognized again as one of the top digital counties in the nation,” said Almvig. “This marks the 5th time that Skagit County has made the top 10 list. This award is only possible through the efforts and vision of all County departments. I would like to specifically recognize the Skagit County Information and Geographic Services teams for the talent and creativity each member has contributed to our organization.”

Skagit County is a member of the National Association of Counties (NACo), established with the goal of uniting America’s 3,069 county governments.