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In 2017, Weld County Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes was at a meeting with El Paso and Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorders where they were brainstorming ideas for how citizens could interact with county government via the most used hand-held device to hit the market – a mobile phone.
Luck would have it that Colorado’s state government was coming up with a pilot program for a shiny new mobile app for iPhones and Androids — Gov2Go — that could do just what Koppes and fellow clerks were envisioning.
“We wanted a more efficient way for Weld County residents to be able to renew and pay their vehicle tags,” Koppes explained. “There is always the online option, but a credit card fee comes along with that and sometimes renewals can’t be done online.”
This is where Gov2Go comes into the government services picture. The app, which is the nation’s first personal assistant for government, is connected to the Weld County Clerk and Recorder’s online renewal portal and notifies users when their tags are coming due, usually within 30 days of the deadline. Users can pay at the time of the reminder or set reminders to pay before their tags are due. If needed, users can save their stored electronic receipts until their vehicle tags arrive in the mail. Users can also choose to be reminded about when their vehicle is due for an emissions test. The annual vehicle tag renewal reminder card will also still be sent in the mail to app users.
Aside from being used as a tool to help residents renew vehicle tags and be reminded of emissions testing, Gov2Go can be used in other ways. It can remind users of upcoming elections and voter information as well as government holidays. Users can also purchase digital passes for select federal parks.
“This app really is the perfect way for residents to choose how they interact with county government — especially our office,” Koppes said. “The best part is residents can now skip the line at the motor vehicle department year after year because the app just keeps reminding them of their upcoming renewals and payments.”
Since 2017, 3,000 Weld County residents have utilized this app. Koppes said users are giving the Clerk and Recorder’s Office great feedback and are enjoying being able to pay for their tags in the comfort of their homes. An even better perk of the app? It’s free for users as it’s provided by the state and doesn’t cost the county a dime — a win-win for everyone.
Gov2Go was brought to the county via Colorado Interactive, the team behind the state of Colorado’s official website, and a Statewide Internet Portal Authority partnership that provides governments with an easy-to-adopt platform that puts citizens at the center of government and delivers on-demand convenience. Operated through a public-private partnership between the state and Colorado Interactive, government entities can web-enable their services – exactly what Gov2Go aims to do and is being used for through Koppes’ office.
“About half of Weld County citizens live in the county, but work outside of it in surrounding counties,” Koppes explained. “Gov2Go helps these residents to not have to take time off work or use paid time off to renew and pay for their vehicle tags in person if they don’t want to.”
By Shaley Dehner, Weld County Communications Specialist
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