Howard County earned national recognition for a broad portfolio of technology and administrative initiatives designed to make government more transparent, secure, efficient, and easier to navigate.

Leading the County’s 2026 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards was HoCo Dash 2.0, which earned Best in Category in Information Technology. The platform transforms large projects, initiatives, and performance measures into concise, visually engaging stories designed to help residents better understand what County government is doing and why it matters. Rather than relying solely on dense reports and static charts, HoCo Dash 2.0 takes a human-centered, story-first approach to government transparency.

Artificial intelligence also played a prominent role in Howard County’s award-winning technology work. The County’s Generative Large Language Model AI Application Governance Compliance Pilot established governance and compliance measures around employee use of generative AI, with a focus on protecting organizational data, privacy, and security. Howard County also earned recognition for its Guidance for Artificial Intelligence Use, created as the County developed formal oversight around emerging AI tools.

Other awards highlighted modernization happening behind the scenes. The Data Center Modernization Initiative expanded secure cloud connectivity and strengthened disaster recovery and availability capabilities, while the Budget Legislation Coordination Tool created a clearer way to track amendments as budget legislation moves through the County Council process.

Other county improvements produced measurable results such as replacing a paper-based timekeeping process used for roughly 4,000 employees with an automated system structured around collective bargaining pay rules. The change resulted in a 15% reduction in payroll errors and a 20% reduction in payroll processing time. Residents are also benefiting from tools designed to make complex government information easier to understand. The Zoning Use Informational Map translates technical zoning code into searchable categories and an interactive map, allowing residents, business owners, and developers to more easily determine where different uses are permitted.

Together, the initiatives show how Howard County is using technology not simply to digitize existing processes, but to rethink how information moves through government, how employees work, and how residents interact with County services. To learn more and see the full list of awards visit the awards page on the NACo website.

These honors are part of 165 NACo Achievement Awards earned by Maryland counties this year, recognizing programs and services across nearly every area of local government.