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King Township celebrates dual honours for AI adoption

June 18, 2025   ·   0 Comments

It’s twice as nice for King Township as it celebrates a second major honour recently, receiving the prestigious E.A. Danby Award for its groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence (AI) program.
This award followed its recent Municipal Information Systems Association of Ontario win.
The E.A. Danby Award, presented by the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO), recognizes outstanding performance and innovative practices in municipal administration. King Township received the honour during the 2025 AMCTO Conference Awards event on June 10 in Windsor.
King’s AI program, launched in April 2024 as part of its Digital Transformation Framework, has already delivered measurable results across multiple service areas. Highlights include:
Kingsley – AI-Powered Virtual Assistant on king.ca: Over 1,000 resident interactions on king.ca, with 40% occurring outside business hours.
Microsoft 365 Copilot: More than 1,500 monthly operations automated, returning over 1,000 hours to staff to focus on more strategic initiatives, reduce backlogs and advance projects.
AI Invoice Processor: Streamlined processing of 130+ invoices, freeing staff for higher-value work.
CITYROVER: AI camera technology that accelerates road infrastructure assessments and repairs.
Responsible AI Roadmap and Procurement Guide: Among the first of their kind in Canadian municipalities, these tools ensure ethical and effective AI adoption.
The program’s success is driven by cross-departmental collaboration through the Township’s Leveraging Technology Steering Committee, ensuring alignment with strategic goals. The E.A. Danby Awards, named after AMCTO’s inaugural president, celebrate municipalities that demonstrate vision and innovation in delivering programs and services that produce tangible results and focus on initiatives that fall within the broad categories of municipal finance, administration and the implementation of legislation.
Award nominations may be submitted by any Ontario municipality wishing to be recognized for its use of innovative approaches in the delivery of municipal programs and services. The term ‘innovation’ is interpreted broadly to include any new or creative approach affecting the delivery of municipal programs and services. It is a tiered awards program based on the size of the municipality. Awards are granted to municipalities with populations less than 20,000 and those with larger populations.
King’s AI initiative has also earned the 2025 MISA Ontario Excellence in Municipal Systems Award and is drawing attention from municipalities across the province seeking to replicate its success.
For more information on AMCTO, visit amcto.com.
“This award reflects the incredible dedication of our staff in using technology to better serve our community. Being recognized by the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario highlights King’s leadership in driving efficiency and enhancing the experience for our residents,” said Mayor Steve Pellegrini.
“We are honoured to receive the E.A. Danby Award. This recognition speaks to King Township’s forward-thinking approach to public service. By embracing emerging technologies like AI, we’re not just keeping pace – we’re setting the pace. Our team continues to find creative, collaborative ways to use innovation to improve everyday experiences for citizens and businesses,” added Daniel Kostopoulos, Chief Administrative Officer.
Prior to that, King Township was recognized by the Municipal Information Systems Association of Ontario (MISA) for its innovative use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance citizen services and improve internal operations.
The Township earned MISA’s Excellence in Municipal Systems Award, which honours municipalities that lead the way with impactful, forward-thinking technology initiatives. The award was presented during a ceremony on June 3 at the MISA Ontario’s Annual Conference & Trade Show. King’s AI program stood out for its comprehensive and strategic approach to using AI across multiple areas of service and operations to address challenges and business needs.
MISA is a national organization that focuses on information technology professionals in the public sector, offering best practice sharing, collaboration and networking opportunities. It also facilitates collaboration and sharing of information, skills and resources among municipalities and member associations. Learn more at misa-asim.ca.
“We’re thrilled to see King Township recognized for innovation on a provincial stage. This award is a testament to the creativity and dedication of our staff and it shows that even smaller municipalities can lead the way in adopting smart, responsible technology. Our AI program is helping us serve residents more efficiently, make better use of our resources and build a stronger, more connected community,” said Mayor Steve Pellegrini.
“King Township is proud to be recognized by MISA as a leading municipality in the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence. This award reflects the learning and continuous improvement culture at King, reinforcing the Township’s commitment to leveraging technology in ways that make a real difference for citizens and businesses across the Township. King’s AI program is one of many examples that illustrates staff alignment to its values of collaboration, commitment and creativity by working with AI to enhance the lives of citizens. It’s all part of our vision of making life better in King,” added Daniel Kostopoulos, Chief Administrative Officer.

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