More than half of Americans would fire local representatives for lackluster government technology decisions

Research from CentralSquare shows citizens hold elected officials increasingly accountable for ensuring their municipalities have the latest city and emergency management software

Lake Mary, Fla., March 12, 2020 — More than three fourths of U.S. adults hold elected officials responsible for keeping city operations and technology up to date. In fact, according to the CentralSquare Voice of the Citizen Survey, which collected responses from over 5,000 Americans spanning all states and backgrounds, 55% said they would fire a city manager for not upgrading to better, faster city management software.

This accountability extended into public safety technology as well, as more than one in two citizens said they would fire a police chief or sheriff for not upgrading to a better, faster emergency management software.

As a whole, the research demonstrates that citizens perceive a direct correlation between public leadership roles and responsibility for technology updates. Regarding city operations, respondents felt that the city manager (88%), mayor (87%) and CIO (84%) were most responsible for keeping the software up to date. Likewise, respondents identified the city manager (89%), mayor (88%) and police chief/sheriff (88%) as the roles most responsible for keeping emergency management software up to date.

When asked about what technological improvements they would like implemented in their city/town, 91% agreed that solutions should focus on implementing proactive measures to address emergency situations. Additionally, citizens are calling for:

• Greater smart city investments – 87% want more investment in interconnected response processes across community boundaries
• Superior emergency services – 59% want faster emergency response capabilities
• Increased budget for safety technologies – 54% want greater budget allocated to updating public safety technologies

“Technological advancements are the ‘digital safety net’ for many of today’s cities, thanks to intelligent solutions that are leaving teams better prepared to handle and resolve emergency situations in real time while, also providing modern solutions for everyday operational requests,” said Jatin Atre, CMO of CentralSquare. “Such advancements are empowering local leaders to revolutionize emergency response management, engage the local community and improve digital infrastructure for all.”

Take a more in-depth look at the CentralSquare Voice of the Citizen Survey findings online.