CivicPlus Reveals Digital Trust Gap in Local Government Services

MANHATTAN, Kan., Oct. 20, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- CivicPlus, a leading public sector software solutions provider, has released its latest Resident Satisfaction and Trust (RSAT) report, which reveals a significant Digital Trust Gap in local government. The report, based on 34,151 responses across eight waves of the RSAT survey conducted from 2022 through 2025, highlights the divide between residents' expectations and their actual experiences with local government services.

According to the findings, 76% of residents consider government transparency to be important, yet only 43% are highly satisfied with the accuracy and honesty of the information they receive. This discrepancy underscores the need for local governments to improve their communication strategies to bridge the gap between expectations and reality.

The report also notes that while trust in local leaders has increased since 2022, satisfaction with local government services remains lower. Specifically, 54% of residents are extremely or very satisfied with local government, up from 48% in 2022, while 82% trust local leaders completely or somewhat. These figures indicate that while trust is on the rise, there is still a significant margin for improvement in terms of satisfaction.

Website quality emerges as a critical factor in residents' trust in local government. The report reveals that 62% of respondents believe a municipality’s website reflects the quality of its leadership. However, only 44% find their local government websites very or extremely easy to navigate. Among those who find the websites easy to use, 94% report more trust in local leaders compared to 48% of those who find the websites difficult to navigate.

Additionally, the report addresses residents' concerns about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in local government. While 55% are extremely or very concerned about privacy if local government uses AI, residents are still more open than opposed and want to know if AI use is useful, fair, and properly guarded.

The report also examines technology adoption, communication, civic engagement, and federal budget uncertainty while emphasizing the importance of accessibility as both a compliance requirement and a trust signal. CivicPlus recommends that local leaders prioritize navigation and core tasks, modernize communication channels, and build feedback loops that show residents what happened next.

CivicPlus, with over 25 years of experience and the insights of more than 950 team members, has solutions chosen by over 13,000 organizations and used daily by over 340 million people in the U.S. and Canada. The company continues to provide comprehensive support to local governments aiming to improve resident satisfaction and trust.