The county government's tech team earned the No. 1 spot nationally among midsize counties, recognized for AI tools, cybersecurity investments, and digital upgrades across property tax, permitting, and cybersecurity systems.
Marin County's Information Services and Technology Department captured first place in the 2026 Digital Counties Survey, the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties announced Friday, July 17, at the annual NACo Conference in New Orleans.
The award covers counties with populations between 250,000 and 499,999. Marin beat out Chesterfield County, Virginia, and Hamilton County, Indiana, for the top spot. Only five of California's 58 counties were recognized across all population categories.
IST Assistant Director Supriya Menon accepted the award in New Orleans. Marin County Supervisor Brian Colbert also attended the ceremony.
"Our staff is celebrating this recognition because it shows we're clearly utilizing our resources in a way that benefits our residents," Menon said in the county's announcement.
The win marks the department's second No. 1 ranking under outgoing Chief Information Officer Liza Massey, who is retiring in August. The department also took first place in 2021 for its COVID-19 pandemic response work and has placed in the survey's top 10 four times over the past eight years.
What the county built
The survey, now in its 24th year, evaluates counties on strategic planning, cybersecurity, digital services, data management, and innovation. Three projects stood out in Marin's nomination, according to GovTech's winner summary:
AI for property tax accuracy. The Department of Finance deployed AI and Microsoft tools to scan historic land deeds for property tax classification errors. The project took two weeks and cost roughly $40, according to GovTech's California report.
MarinData platform. The county developed an enterprise data platform and, in late 2025, the Health and Human Services Department built an automated data integration pipeline to replace fragmented manual processes.
Cybersecurity overhaul. Following a prior cybersecurity incident at the Marin Housing Authority, the county invested in incident response planning, cybersecurity training, multifactor authentication, and cloud and endpoint security.
The county also launched a Digital Accelerator initiative, a 90-day sprint to streamline permitting through the Community Development Agency by consolidating its Infor system into a single source of truth.
Leadership transition ahead
Interim CIO Angie Goldman, who stepped into the role as Massey prepares to leave, said the recognition reflects Massey's vision. Goldman called it "an achievement we are all proud to celebrate" in the county's July 21 news release.
Massey's August retirement is the next milestone for the department. The county has not announced a permanent replacement.
