The awards recognize local governments creating positive impacts in communities and improving resident experiences
MANHATTAN, Kan., Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- CivicPlus®, a public sector SaaS leader, is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Community Impact Awards: the Borough of Red Bank, New Jersey; the City of Panama City, Florida; and the City of Tarpon Springs, Florida. The awards program celebrates CivicPlus customers driving meaningful, community-focused initiatives to improve resident experiences and strengthen public trust.
Borough of Red Bank, New Jersey
In Red Bank, a coordinated outreach and communications effort closed a real gap: Residents, particularly the Borough's historically under-engaged Spanish-speaking community, which makes up roughly a third of the population, were not consistently receiving or acting on the information its government made available. The need to improve trust and the resident experience was evident. The Borough responded with a proactive, multilingual, resident-centered communication model built to close that gap and give residents a reason to believe their government operates with the entire community in mind. Every single Borough communication is consistently available in both English and Spanish, reducing language barriers and creating a more equitable resident experience.
"When we made a standard of communicating in both English and Spanish, we weren't just checking a box. We were telling a third of our residents that their government sees them and is listening," said Borough of Red Bank Manager James Gant. "That work is not a one-time initiative—it's a culture shift. Trust grows when people see that their government listens, cares, and follows through. When people feel seen and heard, they feel more connected to their community."
City of Panama City, Florida
In Panama City, still rebuilding years after Hurricane Michael, residents were often finding out about their own community secondhand, through social media algorithms or the local news, rather than from the City itself. That left room for delay, mixed messages, and residents who felt like an afterthought in their own city's recovery and growth. Panama City set out to become its own most trusted source by creating a monthly newsletter, redesigning its website for easier accessibility to city information, and implementing a mass notification system which now lets residents choose what they hear about and when, whether that's a road closure on their block or a citywide alert. The results moved fast. Since launch, the City's mass notification system has delivered more than 400,000 text messages, and website traffic has grown sharply year over year, with new users up 40 percent and total sessions up 37 percent.
"Residents need one trusted, official source for timely, accurate information," said City of Panama City Manager Jonathan Hayes. "We're making the City's website a hub for information and using digital tools to keep residents informed and make information more accessible to build better trust in local government."
City of Tarpon Springs, Florida
Tarpon Springs is a close-knit, multigenerational community. As the City expanded its digital services, the focus was on making government easier to access while preserving the personal connection residents value. The City modernized its website so residents could find information faster, complete more tasks online, and connect with City services more easily. It also introduced Spongy, a virtual assistant that helps residents quickly find answers at any time. Spongy has responded to more than 4,300 resident questions with a 70.7 percent self-resolution rate. Tarpon Springs also transformed its public meeting process, supporting nearly 400 public meetings in its first year. Agendas are now easier to navigate online, while touchscreen kiosks in the City auditorium give residents another simple way to access meeting information when attending in person.
"The vision was simple: one trusted digital front door for our residents, no matter their age or how comfortable they are with technology," said City of Tarpon Springs Chief Information Security Officer Suzanne Linton. "We wanted people to find what they needed, stay informed, and feel connected to their city. Connecting with the City of Tarpon Springs should feel easy, transparent, and welcoming, every time."
The CivicPlus Community Impact Awards
"Every great initiative begins with a challenge and ends with a community that is better because of its solution. The Community Impact Awards celebrate the everyday efforts of local governments that lead to extraordinary outcomes," said CivicPlus Chief Executive Officer Brian Rempe. "It is incredible to see how our customers are solving real challenges to improve resident experiences. The stories from this year's winners demonstrate impact-led government in action, and it deserves to be recognized."
Each winning community will receive a $1,000 charitable contribution in the community's name to an organization of its choice, a recognition trophy, and a video spotlight showcasing its winning nomination.
This year's Community Impact Awards also recognize Chris Bates as an honorable mention. Bates, Town of Windsor, Colorado Arts and Events Specialist, transformed an underused historic space at the Windsor Art and Heritage Center into a premier gathering spot for regional artists, organizing exhibits, sculpture installations, and cross-genre showcases that brought visual artists, poets, and musicians together for the first time. His work earned him Windsor's Employee of the Year award, turning what nominators described as a quiet, largely unknown asset into the town's most reputable exhibition space.
CivicPlus also proudly recognizes the following finalists in the 2026 Community Impact Awards:
- City of Urbandale, Iowa
- City of Woodstock, Illinois
- Nassau County, Florida
- Pasco County, Florida
- City of Goodlettsville, Tennessee
- City of Hutto, Texas
- City of Clewiston, Florida
About CivicPlus
Thousands of high-performing civic leaders rely on CivicPlus as their trusted partner for impact-led government. With CivicPlus, leaders can finally overcome the perpetual tradeoff between the demand for better services and the realities of operational resources, leveraging the unique Civic Impact Platform to deliver both unmatched end-to-end automated efficiency and truly unified, delightful resident experiences.
Backed by over 25 years of experience and leveraging the insights of more than 950 team members, our solutions are chosen by over 13,000 organizations and are used daily by over 340 million people in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit civicplus.com.
Media Contact
Kimberly Girolimon, CivicPlus, 1 8636020584, [email protected], www.civicplus.com
SOURCE CivicPlus
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