For most municipal governments right now, times are good. Sales tax revenues are way up, and property values are also reaching new highs — thereby increasing municipal revenues. This stands of course in stark contrast to the brutal Great Recession a decade ago, when collapsing home values, unemployment and plunging sales tax revenues forced cities and counties to make painful cost-cutting decisions.

History, however, teaches us some very important lessons. Good times such as these inevitably come to an end. When — not if — recessionary times return, they may end up being prolonged if economists are to be believed. So now may be a time for municipal IT departments to ask themselves, what can we do today to position ourselves for the next downturn? How do we prepare ourselves for a time when the economy goes sour and we begin to hear the drumbeats of budget cuts again? In short, how do we prepare for war in this time of relative peace?

Our research and experiences in Dekalb County, Ga., have lead us to some conclusions that we believe will benefit other governments. Our recent investments in the following strategies are beginning to significantly increase our ability to deliver innovation with a smaller staff footprint. There are four key elements...

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