Henderson, LV honored for use of digital tools

Cited in municipal technology survey

Henderson and Las Vegas have claimed top 10 spots as local governments that use technology to improve the lives of residents.

The Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute, ranked Henderson sixth in a list of cities with a population between a quarter-million and a half-million in its 18th annual Digital Cities Survey. Among many factors, the survey looks at how cities use technology to improve cybersecurity, foster transparency and solve social challenges, according to the center’s website.

“This top 10 designation highlights our effective use of digital tools to engage our residents and increase transparency and open government in ways that make the City of Henderson even more responsive to the needs of our community,” Henderson Chief Information Officer Laura Fucci said in a statement.

Las Vegas tied Albuquerque for the eighth spot among cities with a population of a half-million or more.

A focus on implementing technology to improve public safety, economic growth, education and health care contributed to Las Vegas making the list for the first time since 2015, according to the Center for Digital Government’s website.

“The future is now, and government must be ready to embrace technologies that can help to address community issues and make cities more livable,” Las Vegas Information Technologies Director Michael Sherwood said in a statement.

Sherwood said Las Vegas will continue testing new technology in its Innovation District, which spans a large part of the downtown area.

Henderson jumped up four spots from its ranking last year, according the center’s website.

The city has expanded Wi-fi access and is working with the private sector to get fiber connections to places in the city that have internet accessibility problems, according to the website.