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The State of AI in Local Government
Based on the ICMA 2024 survey of 635 local governments—the most comprehensive data on AI adoption in American local government.
The biggest obstacle isn’t politics or budget. It’s knowledge—and that’s a solvable problem.
Who This Book Is For
City managers, county administrators, department heads, IT directors, clerks, and elected officials—the people who actually run local government. Especially those in small and mid-sized communities where resources are limited and staff wear multiple hats.
You don’t need a technology background. You need to make informed decisions: whether AI fits your circumstances, what governance it requires, how to evaluate vendors, how to protect your workers and residents, and when to say “not now.”
New here?
Start with the AI Readiness Self-Assessment to find out where your organization stands. Your results will tell you which chapters matter most.
Companion Resources
Everything here is free. Use it, adapt it, share it with your peers.
AI Readiness Assessment
The interactive 20-question self-assessment from the book. Score your organization across five dimensions and get personalized chapter recommendations.
AI Policy Template
A fill-in-the-blanks AI acceptable use policy. 3–5 pages when completed. Adoptable by council resolution in a single meeting.
Vendor Evaluation Checklist
Eight scored questions, a comparison matrix, red flags, and contract provisions. Print it and bring it to vendor meetings.
Resource Directory
Curated organizations, publications, policy templates, training resources, and cooperative purchasing programs for local government AI.
Glossary
Plain-language definitions of AI terms you’ll actually encounter: hallucination, PEARS, three-tier framework, and more.
What’s Inside
- Part I: Where You Stand
- Chapter 1: What’s Actually Happening Out There — The ICMA data on adoption, barriers, and the governance gap
- Chapter 2: Taking Stock — A structured readiness assessment across five dimensions
- Part II: Building Governance
- Chapter 3: Your First 90 Days — Six concrete steps with timelines, costs, and deliverables
- Chapter 4: AI Policy and Governance — Six policy elements with real city language, council briefing guidance
- Chapter 5: Protecting Your Workers — What AI does to the people inside your organization
- Part III: Choosing and Using AI
- Chapter 6: Evaluating Vendors — Eight questions and a scoring framework
- Chapter 7: What AI Can Actually Do for You — Real use cases by tier with costs and outcomes
- Chapter 8: Measuring Whether It’s Working — The perception-reality gap and honest measurement
- Part IV: The Failure Record
- Chapter 9: Seven Cautionary Tales — COMPAS, Detroit, PredPol, NYC MyCity, and more
- Part V: Getting It Right
- Chapter 10: The Small Community Playbook — Budget tables, staff sessions, and step-by-step guidance for teams of 3–15
- Chapter 11: When to Say No — Making “not now” a decision, not a default
Plus five appendices: Readiness Assessment, Policy Template, Vendor Checklist, Resource Directory, and Glossary.
Quarterly Updates
The AI landscape moves fast. These notes track shifts that affect the book’s recommendations.
Q1 2026
First edition published. All recommendations are current as of publication. Check back for the first quarterly update.
Errata
Found an error or have a suggestion? Corrections will be posted here and incorporated into future printings.
No errata reported yet.
© 2026 Alton Henley. Companion page for Ready or Not.
altonhenley.com · LinkedIn
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