Durham, NC – Durham County’s list of accolades continues to grow as several departments were recently named National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award Winners. NACo notified winning organizations, including Durham County, of the special recognition leading up to the 2021 NACo Annual Conference which took place in Prince George’s County, Maryland, earlier this month.
Durham County Board of Elections, Tax Administration, and Public Health received “Best in Category” for their outstanding programs and projects submissions. The non-competitive awards program honors innovative, effective county government programs that enhance services for residents.
NACo recognized the Durham County Board of Elections for its Board of Elections Poll Count Application. First used in the 2020 Primary and General Elections, the Poll Count application streamlined and expedited opening and closing processes, and greatly reduced the number of Election Day telephone calls to the Board of Elections regarding precinct opening and unofficial counts. It also simplified responding to requests for publicly available voter turnout information. The Best in Category selection for the Board of Elections Poll Count Application fell under County Administration and Management.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from NACo for the Board of Elections Poll Count Application,” said Durham County Elections Director Derek Bowens. “We are also grateful to our Information Technology Department for helping advance election administration in Durham County by making our vision a reality.”
NACo recognized the Durham County Tax Administration for its multi-faceted COVID-19 Response. Tax Administration adapted its remote call center and implemented a live chat feature on the Tax website. The live chat feature has lessened call wait times and received a 99% satisfaction rate across 2,159 live chats so far. Additionally, the department migrated to a digital review space allowing taxpayers to have their appeal cases heard via Zoom. Tax Administration also implemented the Long-Term Payment Plan Deferral Program created for individuals that may not qualify for state relief programs. Qualifying taxpayers receive up to ten years to pay their current bill unless a disqualifying event occurs. This relief program is the only one of its kind in North Carolina. This award selection for Best in Category was also represented under County Administration and Management.
“We are thankful to be recognized by NACo with this Achievement Award. These programs were created during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to partner with our Durham County community and ensure that we were doing all we could possibly do. Many key players were involved, but I would like to give a special thanks to the Board of Commissioners, Interim County Manager Claudia Hager and our IS&T Department. This is very much a team award for Durham County as a whole,” said Durham County Tax Administrator Dwane Brinson.
NACo recognized the Durham County Department of Public Health for its COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Dashboard. As COVID-19 vaccine distribution began, Durham County Public Health needed a simple way to view and monitor data about COVID-19 vaccinations for county residents. Public Health, Office of Emergency Services, and Information Services and Technology collaborated to develop the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Dashboard, which transforms raw data about Durham County COVID-19 vaccinations into an easy-to-read, interactive format. The Best in Category for the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Dashboard was listed under Health.
"From the very beginning of this global pandemic, our goal was to provide accurate, evidence-based information to keep our citizens safe from COVID-19. Our dashboard was created in-house through the hard work and collaboration of many internal stakeholders,” said Health Director Rod Jenkins. “Our citizens rely on the dashboard as a reliable way to receive and share information. Durham County has remained safe because of our ability to effectively disseminate information. My team and I are delighted to receive this recognition.”
Special recognition is given to Durham County Information Services and Technology for the instrumental role the department played with the creation and implementation of each of the awarded projects.
“I am proud of the IT team and the County agencies for all the various awards received this year in recognition of our innovative solutions and enhanced services developed for our residents,” said Chief Information Officer Greg Marrow. “During a year of unprecedented challenges and circumstances, it was critical that we work tightly together and as a team with other County agencies to meet the needs of our community. The recognition is a testament to the outstanding work by everyone.”
This year, NACo recognized 844 entries from counties and state associations in 28 states. Get details on Durham County’s "Best in Category" winners and other nationwide winners here:
The National Association of Counties (NACo) unites America's 3,069 county governments. Founded in 1935, NACo brings county officials together to advocate with a collective voice on national policy, exchange ideas and build new leadership skills, pursue transformational county solutions, enrich the public's understanding of county government and exercise exemplary leadership in public service. The NACo Achievement Awards began in 1970 and was given in 13 different categories this year including civic education and public information, community economic development, county administration and management, health, human services, and many more.
For more information about the awards presented to Durham County’s Board of Elections, Tax Administration, and Public Health departments, email publicinformationoffice@dconc.gov.
###