Celebrating Excellence in Resident Engagement

At Polco, we believe great governance starts with listening. Local governments that elevate the resident voice in decision-making not only strengthen trust but also create smarter, more responsive communities. That’s why we’re proud to announce the Top Performers in this year’s Best in Governance Awards for Resident Engagement.

These awards recognize cities, counties, and school districts that have gone above and beyond to engage their communities—whether through quick-turn resident surveys or interactive budget or prioritization simulations.

Top Performers for Engage Categories

These honors go to jurisdictions using Polco's Engage (pulse surveys and topic-based surveys) to ensure community voices directly inform planning, policy, and budgeting.

Community Reach

For the jurisdiction with the most residents engaged on their platform

• City of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
• Town of Needham, Massachusetts
• City of Scottsdale, Arizona

Civic Catalyst

For the jurisdiction engaging residents on the most topics

• Town of Flower Mound, Texas
• City of Park City, Utah
• City of Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Power of Engagement

For the jurisdiction garnering the most participants in a single engagement or survey

• Village of Arlington Heights, Illinois
• City of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
• Town of Florence, Arizona

Top Performers for Balancing Act Categories

These honors celebrate governments and schools leveraging Balancing Act simulations to bring residents directly into the budgeting process, helping build transparency, trust, and shared priorities.

Priorities in Action

For the jurisdiction running the most impactful “Prioritize” engagement

• Frederick County, MD
• City of San Marcos, TX
• City of Savannah, GA

Trust Through Transparency

For the jurisdiction delivering the best budget simulation experience

• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, California
• City of Newport News, VA
• Sedgwick County, KS

Schools of Thought

For the school district with the best budget simulation

• Anchorage School District
• Edmonds School District
• Kansas City Public Schools

What’s Next

The cities, counties, and school districts listed as top performers in each category represent the very best in public engagement and transparent decision-making.

🎉 The National Champions for each category will be announced live at the ICMA Annual Conference in October in Tampa, Florida.

👏 Congratulations to all of this year’s top performers! We’re honored to showcase your leadership in building stronger, smarter, and more connected communities. Visit our awards page for more information about Best in Governance Awards.