Madison Reporter

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is celebrating the city's recent Digital Cities Award.

“Madison is a Digital Cities Award Winner," the mayor tweeted. "That means our @CityofMadisonIT has provided services, worked to keep us all connected during the pandemic, and done an amazing job!” 

Madison placed eighth among cities with a population of 250,000 in the contest sponsored by the Center for Digital Government, the city said in a news release.

The city was recognized for implementing software to distribute American Rescue Plan funds for rental assistance, for allowing residents to register their positions on legislative issues online and for governing policies that were part of the Results Madison budgeting system initiative expected to launch next year, the news release said.

"Technology provided a critical connection between local government and residents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while furthering our digital inclusion goals," the news release said. "We have made great strides in addressing the digital divide in Madison, increasing resident engagement and connecting residents with city services online in the past two years."

Long Beach, California, Durham, North Carolina and Virginia Beach, Virginia were the top three cities in the population group that included Madison.

Top cities in other population categories included San Jose, California, Corona, California, Westminster, Colorado and Shawnee, Kansas.

“Innovative cities are able to leverage data and harness new technology to enhance the services they provide,” said Center for Digital Technology Vice President Phil Bertolini said in a statement. “The Center for Digital Government congratulates this year’s winners for putting technology to good use toward improving the lives of constituents and strengthening the relationships they have with their partners.”