Most local governments have suffered an unfortunate side effect of the pandemic – namely, a loss of tax revenue from less spending at local businesses, fewer guests at hotels, and reduced diners at restaurants. However, there is now an extended opportunity for local governments to receive federal funding for specific pandemic relief efforts included in the original CARES Act. The deadline for eligible purchases was recently extended through the end of 2021, meaning as long as they occur before December 31, 2021 they can be federally reimbursed.
Eligible software solutions are those that help local governments better serve their citizens during the pandemic. That includes software that can help provide mass notification like timely alerts, communicate updated health information like COVID testing and vaccine availability, and offer support for online bill pay for government services. Local governments should strongly consider taking advantage of this funding to not only improve their pandemic response but also their community engagement efforts. Community engagement efforts have never been more important for local governments to pursue because they are inherently tied to the strength of their pandemic response. That includes supporting local businesses by sharing their updated information like hours of availability, directing the public on where to find medical and mental support, and listing non-profit events like community food drives. Strong communication also helps local government create trust in its citizens, which is, unfortunately, harder to create than ever before. But with a solid communications strategy and approach in place, local governments can improve their status while also providing trusted pandemic information for their residents.
ITsimple solutions are eligible for CARES Act reimbursement and can help you improve your pandemic response while also improving your community engagement. ITsimple can help you localize your crisis communications and better reflect the needs of your unique circumstances and constituent needs.
ITsimple’s SpotlightCMS can help you implement effective crisis communications on a budget, streamline your content publication processes, and improve your community engagement and pandemic support. And because it’s a cloud-based solution, it will work with your existing infrastructure without any additional IT or backend requirements.
With SpotlightCMS, it’s easy to inform residents of any changes in community status, relay the latest health information, and post official communications from government representatives. SpotlightCMS lets you deliver improved civic communications while spending less time managing the process. With SpotlightCMS, you can simultaneously publish all your content updates across your website, app, and social media presences when information changes rapidly, saving you both time and money. ITsimple enables you to communicate in real-time with urgent information, centralize local government information and make it easy to access, and provide support for local businesses.
SpotlightCMS pairs with a free end user mobile app, It’sMyTown, that puts information and services in one location for your residents and makes it far easier for them to engage and find the information they need. It’sMyTown is freely available from Apple and Google app stores, has no privacy concerns or social media dependency because no registration is required and no personal information is gathered or stored, and helps build a sense of community and support local engagement. And as pandemic response efforts and information continue to evolve, It’sMyTown and Spotlight CMS work in tandem to communicate those changes to residents directly and immediately.
When you’re ready to meet the communication demands of the times, ITsimple can help. And when you’re ready to upgrade your web site or entire communications strategy, ITsimple can be there with a proven strategy for success in place.
