City of Hernando

Gia Matheny serves as the Community and Economic Development Director for the City of Hernando, Mississippi.

The City of Hernando sits in one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. While the city has fewer than 20,000 residents, its historic downtown square serves as a gathering place for the broader community and visitors from across the region. As Hernando continues to grow, we have recognized that strong public communication and civic engagement are essential to preserving community identity while improving quality of life, supporting tourism and encouraging economic development.

Like many small cities, Hernando faces the challenge of meeting growing expectations for communication and transparency. Today’s residents increasingly rely on technology to find information quickly, discover events, connect with local businesses and engage with their community. In response, Hernando’s Community Development Department has adopted a multi-platform communication strategy utilizing the city website, e-newsletters, social media and a centralized mobile app to make information more accessible and userfriendly.

For Hernando, civic engagement is no longer limited to public meetings or traditional notices. Effective engagement means creating meaningful opportunities for residents and visitors to connect with both the public and private sectors. In many ways, communication itself has become a quality-of-life service.

One of the strongest examples of this approach is the city-led Hernando Farmers Market, which has become one of the city’s most valuable community engagement hubs. While the market began as a way to support local agriculture, it has evolved into a regional attraction that contributes to tourism, economic activity and community wellness while drawing thousands of visitors to Hernando’s historic city center.

Social media has played a critical role in expanding participation and awareness of these opportunities and has become one of the city’s most effective communication tools. It allows information to reach thousands of residents and visitors quickly and efficiently, helping increase civic participation and improve access to local events, programs and services.

Digital communication platforms have become essential for connecting residents with their community in real time. In addition to social media, the city maintains a dedicated website and official communication pages to provide transparent and accessible information regarding government policies, public meetings, city activities and community initiatives. Together, these communication channels help strengthen public trust while keeping residents informed and engaged.

However, despite Hernando’s active website and multiple social media pages, the city previously lacked a centralized digital platform to organize communication efforts and connect users with all the experiences the city had to offer.

We saw an opportunity to create a centralized digital hub that could support tourism, promote events, showcase local businesses and strengthen public communication while remaining manageable for a small staff to operate. Hernando launched a mobile app platform that now connects residents and visitors with festivals, community events, gps maps, local shopping and dining, parking information, tourism resources, recreational opportunities and city updates all in one convenient place.

The platform also strengthens relationships between the city, businesses, nonprofits and community organizations by increasing visibility and creating sponsorship opportunities that support community programming. Local partners who invest in events and initiatives gain year-round exposure through the app, social media and digital communication efforts, helping create a sustainable model for civic engagement and promotion. 

Hernando has also utilized the platform to highlight the city’s historic identity and cultural assets. Through the app, residents and visitors can access digital listings and self-guided walking tours featuring historic homes listed on the state preservation registry. These features help bring Hernando’s history to life while supporting heritage tourism, which remains an important component of the city’s economic development strategy.

"As small cities continue to grow and evolve, effective communication and accessible information are essential to civic engagement and community connection."

As the community continues to grow, the platform provides a strong foundation for deeper engagement with residents, expanded tourism promotion and new opportunities for local partnerships. By investing in centralized communication tools, Hernando has created a more efficient and connected way to engage the public while extending the sense of community beyond the town square.

For smaller communities, launching new digital initiatives often requires creative funding strategies and strong partnerships. Hernando initially funded the mobile platform through a combination of sponsorships, local support and grant funding tied to tourism and cultural initiatives.

These funding sources helped offset the initial cost of launching the platform while allowing the city to expand communication efforts without placing additional strain on taxpayers. Partnerships with businesses and organizations also created a sustainable model that benefits both the city and the community partners who support local events and economic development efforts.

For Hernando, the investment in communication technology was never simply about creating another digital tool. It was about creating stronger connections between the public and private sectors while preserving the unique sense of place that defines the community.

As small cities continue to grow and evolve, effective communication and accessible information are essential to civic engagement and community connection. Hernando’s experience demonstrates that even with limited staff and resources, small cities can leverage technology, partnerships and creative funding strategies to support economic growth and enhance quality of life.