Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

&045; Arthur C. Clarke

Helping people work smarter.

That&8217;s how Shelby County Property Tax Commissioner Don Armstrong describes one of the key achievements of new technological advances in Shelby County Government.

By now you may know that Shelby County government recently received a highly regarded international award for its work to use technology to better serve citizens of our county; what you may not know is that the award is actually very good news for you and me.

The Distinguished System for 2006 Exemplary Systems in Government (ESIG) Award is given each year by the Urban and Regional Systems Association (URSA) to recognize organizations that improve the delivery and quality of government services through the use of information technology.

In other words, our county government has been recognized internationally for leveraging technology to better serve citizens of Shelby County.

Now consider this:

no other government in the State of Alabama, not city, not county nor statewide has ever received this award. To say receiving this award is an honor would be an understatement; it is better described as a clear recognition that the investment of time, talent and resources our county government has made is not only increasing the quality of service to those of us that call Shelby County home but it is also bringing our county international recognition for doing things right.

The innovation and technology that helped the county earn this award have positively impacted many facets of county government; from the Shelby County Property Tax office to Shelby County Probate Judge Patricia Fuhrmeister&8217;s office to the Shelby County Manager&8217;s office. The advances are widespread and far reaching.

We all know that our county is growing at a blistering pace and that there are no signs of the growth slowing nor the ever increasing strains on all facets of government being alleviated.

Innovation, technology, planning and good people will make the difference in the years to come as our county government responds to our ever changing landscape. And isn&8217;t it nice to know they are up to the task.