City’s Department of Information Technology Prioritizes Cybersecurity, Digital Access in 2026 Budget

The City of Pasadena’s Department of Information Technology is focusing on strengthening cybersecurity measures, expanding digital access, and exploring emerging technologies in its 2026 budget. During Tuesday’s Economic Development and Technology Committee meeting, Department of Information officials outlined priorities that aim to enhance online services while ensuring system security and reliability.

“We are constantly investing in how we use our data, how we use our applications in our systems to better enhance management controls,” said Department of Information Technology leadership during the May 20 presentation. “We’re also enhancing department collaboration where all of us are using our cell phones, we’re using apps, we’re using text messages, we’re using email.”

The department highlighted five key priorities for 2026: expanding digital access and inclusion, strengthening security and reliability, being more data-driven, enhancing department collaboration, and exploring emerging technologies including generative AI. Website accessibility improvements will meet new requirements taking effect in 2026, while security investments remain central to the department’s strategy.

The Department of Information Technology’s budget shows specific changes including a 13.4% increase in personnel services, a 10.4% increase in services and supplies, and a 16.2% increase in internal service charges. The department utilizes a zero-based budgeting approach, examining every contract and expense line item annually rather than applying automatic increases.

“What our strategy is is that we did do our own security assessment of our systems a couple years ago and we came up with areas of where we can always improve,” according to the department representative. “Every year we have multiple things that we’re investing in…we’re constantly meeting all those thresholds and sometimes exceeding them.”

The department manages two funds: the Computing and Communications Fund, an internal service fund with a forecasted balance of about $3.7 million, and the Telecommunications Fund, an enterprise fund supporting the city’s fiber optic network. The latter derives 93% of its revenue from fiber leases and telecommunications agreements with outside entities.

Major technology projects include upgrading the Emergency Operations Center, completing the telephone system replacement by the end of 2025, updating business continuity plans, expanding security cameras, and modernizing applications and infrastructure. The Department of Information Technology also plans to issue a Request for Information to engage vendors for potential broadband service expansions into commercial and residential areas.

The telephone system upgrade represents “somewhat of a cost avoidance” rather than immediate savings, as maintaining the old system would have involved increasing maintenance costs. Committee members also inquired about text messaging capabilities for city services, which the Department of Information Technology confirmed are planned for the new system.