Urban, Rural County CIOs Compare Notes

IT leaders from the state’s urban and rural counties agreed Monday that despite their size differences, they share some of the same challenges and interests, among them recruiting and retaining talented IT staffers, and increasing citizen engagement with county governments.

The CIOs and other IT leaders compared notes during a breakout session of the California County Information Services Directors Association (CCISDA) spring conference. The four-day gathering in Pomona concludes Wednesday — but, the IT leaders said, the issues are ongoing.

Counties simply can’t compete with the skyrocketing salaries and perks offered by the private sector. Tim Dupuis, CIO of Alameda County, told of an IT manager who was lured from his department by a company that offered a $195,000 salary, a $20,000 signing bonus, and the ability to set his own schedule and work remotely.

With the disparity in government and industry salaries, “The good people can move on — and they do,” said Shasta County CIO Tom Schreiber, who moderated the session with Dupuis. “The pay issue makes it tough to get people.”

Some counties are trying to upgrade IT salaries by reclassifying the positions, when appropriate, from hourly to management or “classified” positions. Some rural counties also highlight quality of life — proximity to lakes, mountains and rivers — and a lower cost of living as lures.

When the talk shifted to technology and civic engagement, the urban and rural counties are equally innovative: They’re experimenting with “no wrong door” online government portals, do-it-yourself videos via YouTube, and even, in the case of Orange County, using Amazon’s Alexa to help residents navigate their government. (Techwire will have more on this in the near future.)

State IT leaders are attending this week’s conference — as partners, not vendors, a departure from recent years. Chris Cruz, chief deputy director of the California Department of Technology and deputy state CIO, confirmed after the session that state government shares some of the same challenges as the counties.

As jurisdictions of all sizes seek solutions, Cruz said, state government’s posture will be, “No counties left behind.”