Durham County has recently raked in impressive accolades for its innovative approaches in local government, snagging seven National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards at this year's convention. The county, which falls in the 250,000 to 499,999 population category, also secured a top-10 spot in the Digital Counties Survey, marking its commitment to advancing technology and government services.
County Manager Claudia Hager credited the success to a team effort, stating, "We are definitely trying to be progressive and forward thinking. It is all because of our exciting teams across the County working together," according to a press release on the Durham County's official website. Hager went on to commend the staff for their hard work and collaboration, highlighting that the accomplishments were a result of multiple departments pulling together to improve services for residents.
The African American Legacy in Gardening and Horticulture Symposium, hosted by the Durham County Library, was among the award-winning programs. It celebrates the contributions of Black Americans to gardening and integrates their stories with broader historical narratives. Another highlight is the Durham County Social Services' revamped case management system, a modernized technological framework aimed at supporting social service workers and enhancing the quality of care for clients.
A successful collaboration with Duke University and the City of Durham led to the Duke Fiber Implementation, which improved high-speed broadband access across government facilities without significant expenditure. Moreover, the county launched the DCo Votes application to ensure voters have easy access to election information and a separate initiative, the Durham County Voter Experience Survey, aimed to gather voters' feedback during election times, this serves as a platform to address and improve the voting process.
Strategic planning did not go unnoticed, with the DCo Forward 2029 receiving recognition for its vision to enhance government operations through performance management. Website modernization also took center stage, with the county's main digital portal undergoing significant improvements to accommodate the needs of a growing population and the evolving digital landscape.
The collective efforts of the Durham County staff were celebrated at the NACo Annual Conference and Expo, held from July 11-14, in Philadelphia, PA. The local team's success was further recognized by the Durham Board of County Commissioners during their regular session on July 28. "There are 100 counties in North Carolina and 3,144 counties in the country. For our County to receive this many awards nationally is a huge feat and shows how amazing of a team we have here," Chair Nida Allam was quoted on the Durham County's news page.
