How MontCo plus AI can equal better public services

During election season, our elections team in Montgomery County receives more than 1,000 calls a day. A staff of just three county employees tries to respond within 24 hours, but the backlog can seem endless. Traditional outsourcing would be costly and lack expertise and context. AI can change this.

Imagine every voter getting an immediate, accurate, personalized answer to their most common questions: Where is my polling place? When will my mail ballot arrive? Who’s on my ballot? For the first time, local governments have tools to make this level of service possible and affordable.

Artificial intelligence will reshape everything from public safety to healthcare. But as private companies rapidly develop technology and Congress remains gridlocked on regulation, it is local government that will decide how AI affects the public interest.

Here in Pennsylvania, Montgomery County is ready to lead the way. We are the largest suburban county in the commonwealth, home to more residents than four U.S. states and Washington, D.C. Since taking office in 2023, my focus has been simple: Make government work better for the people who rely on it every day.

Almost every essential service – including 911 dispatch, courts, public health, elections, infrastructure, and human services – is delivered at the county level. If deployed thoughtfully, AI can transform how these systems operate by enabling faster service and better outcomes. 

This year, Montgomery County established one of the nation’s first local-level AI Advisory Councils, bringing together engineers, ethicists, healthcare leaders, entrepreneurs, public safety experts, and educators. Their mission is ambitious: to build a national model for responsible, resident-centered AI in local government.

That means mapping out consequential, practical goals like:

• Helping a resident without a lawyer navigate the court system with dignity and clarity
• Analyzing our 840,000 annual 911 calls to accelerate emergency response
• Expanding access to mental and behavioral health services at lower cost
• Optimizing energy usage to reduce bills and environmental impact
• Automating repetitive administrative tasks so our workforce can spend more time helping people – and less time fighting outdated systems

Used thoughtfully, AI can expand government capacity without expanding costs. But efficiency cannot come at the expense of trust.

As chair of the Board of Elections, I’ve seen the risks AI poses, especially its ability to generate misinformation and erode confidence in democratic institutions. Montgomery County has already begun preparing communication strategies for the 2026 election cycle, because protecting elections requires anticipating misinformation, not simply reacting to it.

That is also why transparency is essential. Residents deserve to know where AI is used, how it works and what guardrails exist. And human judgment must remain paramount, particularly in areas that affect our rights, safety or personal dignity.

Some AI tools, like facial recognition and surveillance drones, can be critical for public safety but also carry risks of bias, misuse and threats to privacy. Our approach must be clear: Innovation is welcome, but not at the expense of freedom or fairness.

And when it comes to the AI-fueled economic transition, we have a responsibility to prepare today’s workforce for tomorrow’s opportunities. Montgomery County Community College is helping lead this effort by offering foundational AI courses designed to ensure people can adapt and thrive as new technologies emerge. And we must invest in apprenticeship programs in skilled trades that provide opportunities for good-paying, meaningful work that won’t be displaced anytime soon.

Our job in government is to look ahead and position our community for success in a changing world. Montgomery County is uniquely built for quick, meaningful action. With only three commissioners responsible for both legislative and executive functions, we can innovate without the gridlock that slows other governmental bodies. 

The technological transition ahead demands leadership, not fear. The question is not whether governments will use AI, but whether we will use it well.

Montgomery County will. And we will show that technology can serve the people, instead of the people serving technology. If we get this right, AI will be transformative for public good.