DID News
Some AI Investments Will Last. Others Will Disappear. Here’s Why That Matters for Van Buren County.
-by Jerry Happel, Director, Digital Information Department (10/20/25) AI is moving at the sort of pace usually reserved for toddlers on sugar and investors in a gold rush. Every week,
Reading the Fine Print (and Actually Remembering It): A New Way to Acknowledge County Policies
Every workplace has that timeless refrain: “I didn’t know that was in the policy.” In Van Buren County, the Finance Department decided it was time to retire that tune. For
Automating Bank Reconciliation in the Treasurer’s Office: Because Life’s Too Short to Clear Checks Manually
Van Buren County, MI — October 13, 2025 In the quiet but relentless world of county finance, few tasks are as numbing (and as necessary) as reconciling the bank statement.
What a Single Day of AI Use in County Government Actually Looks Like
Van Buren County, Michigan (pop. 75,000) Discussions about AI in government often drift into the abstract, like a strategic plan that mentions “leveraging synergies” without ever explaining who’s doing the
Van Buren County’s Digital Innovation Task Force: Leading with Logic, LLMs, and a Light Touch of Ambition (10/9/25)
In a conference room that could just as easily have hosted a zoning board meeting or a spirited debate about the proper font size for recycling pamphlets, the Van Buren County Digital Innovation Task Force convened on October 9, 2025. Facilitated by Drake Olejniczak, with the usual blend of calm authority and a slightly raised eyebrow, the meeting unfolded as a kind of local government variety show: a bit of AI policy here, a dash of automation strategy there, and, as always, a philosophical inquiry into the fate of outdated phone systems.
And yes, we’re officially calling ourselves the Digital Innovation Task Force. Because if you’re going to change the world (or at least the workflow), clarity matters.
