Connecticut Avoids ‘Volatile’ Revenue When Budgeting
Chief Information Officer Mark Raymond is on a mission to convince decision-makers that technology doesn’t just cost money — it provides value. “It’s how we improve in government at all.”
Digital government has come a long way in the last few years. Advances in mainstream consumer technology along with the concentrated pressure on digital services brought on by the pandemic have spurred considerable federal support for modernization at the state level. But as funding streams begin to dry up, technology leaders must consider how to maintain support for innovation and soften the blow of the proverbial “fiscal cliff.”
Many have been planning for this transition for years, having been through similar cycles before with dedicated pockets of funding that have strict expiration dates.
Connecticut CIO Mark Raymond has that long view. Originally appointed in 2011, his tenure includes a gubernatorial transition and considerable organizational change, including an IT consolidation that is currently underway.
The state is also making an infrastructure move that affects budgeting. Connecticut is moving out of its data center in 2029, Raymond said in a video interview at last week’s NASCIO Annual Conference in New Orleans.
”We’ve been traditionally a capital-based IT investment, but moving to the cloud drives us more to operational needs. Can we afford that within our existing budget?” he asked. “It really has us rethinking the entirety of our approach.”
Overall, the state’s conservative fiscal approach has helped grow its rainy-day reserves, but it’s also introduced some challenges when it comes to new technology investments. As Raymond explains here, it requires communicating to decision-makers the value of technology in improving state services to residents.
Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.
Jule Pattison-Gordon is a senior staff writer for <i>Government Technology.</i> She previously wrote for PYMNTS and <i>The Bay State Banner</i>, and holds a B.A. in creative writing from Carnegie Mellon. She’s based outside Boston.<br/>
