Lee County Board OKs social media policy for county-owned accounts

DIXON — Lee County is planning to add social media to the list of ways it’s able to share information with the community.

On Jan. 18, Lee County Board members voted unanimously to approve a new policy for county-owned social media accounts. The policy will “ensure the appropriate and consistent use” of the platforms as tools to “disseminate accurate and timely information,” according to the resolution.

“We’re trying to inform the public more of what’s going on and what’s happening in the county,” County Board Chairman Bob Olson told Shaw Media. “I know we’ve got the website, but we need a better way to get outreach to the public.”

The policy does not apply to employees’ or elected officials’ personal social media accounts, Olson said. It instead focuses on who is allowed to access the county’s social media accounts and what content those individuals are allowed to post, he said.

There are a few Lee County departments that have social media accounts, but the county as a whole does not have any, Olson said.

Which platforms the county will utilize are yet to be determined, he said. Lee County Administrator Jeremy Englund likely will make that call, Olson said.

There are challenges that come with a government agency having a social media presence, he noted. That’s what kept county officials from moving forward with creating accounts after discussing the possibility a couple years ago, Olson said.

Having the policy in place helps address some of those challenges, he said.

“I think the benefits of being able to reach people faster and let them know what’s going on outweighs the challenges that come with having a social media presence, so we decided to move forward with it [now],” Olson said.