| Listening to community residents and getting more | | | | to aggregate the results to get the pulse of the city |
| value for property tax dollars | | | | town. Surveys are usually customized to meet the |
| How effective are your community's fire, police, EMS, | | | | information needs of municipal leaders. |
| public works and other support services? Are the | | | | Services and issues typically included in community |
| schools doing a good job? How do residents feel | | | | opinion surveys: |
| about proposed bond programs to support public | | | | · Perceptions about upcoming bond programs |
| works, school and other purposes? How do you | | | | · Fire Department, Police and EMS |
| know? | | | | performance |
| Many mayors, city managers and town/city councils | | | | · Effectiveness of schools |
| are running their cities and communities without | | | | · Maintenance & availability of public |
| information and feedback from the vast majority of | | | | recreational facilities |
| their city's or town's residents. A relatively small | | | | · Availability and effectiveness of youth, |
| number of vocal residents typically attend city and | | | | adult and senior citizen programs |
| town council meetings and provide suggestions and | | | | · Satisfaction with the public library |
| feedback. Unfortunately their opinions and feedback | | | | · Street cleaning and road maintenance |
| are often biased and represent their own personal | | | | · Parking availability |
| interests, which are frequently different than the | | | | · Trash, snow and leaf removal |
| opinions of the majority of residents. | | | | · Traffic control effectiveness of |
| Costly decisions are often made without the benefit | | | | · Responsiveness of the mayor/city manager |
| of hearing preferences and gaining insight from | | | | and town/city council |
| residents. For very little cost and effort, community | | | | · How well public notice of important issues |
| satisfaction surveys provide information, opinions and | | | | decisions is communicated |
| insight from a wide range of residents. This gives | | | | · Responsiveness of zoning board and |
| municipal leaders a more balanced and objective | | | | enforcement of zoning regulations |
| understanding about how residents feel about | | | | · Effectiveness of attracting and facilitating |
| services, important issues and the city/town | | | | supporting businesses |
| leadership. | | | | · Overall satisfaction with the wide range of |
| The best way to assess the effectiveness of | | | | services provided |
| community services and how well elected and hired | | | | Examining Community Satisfaction Survey Results by |
| city and town leaders are performing is to conduct a | | | | Resident Demographics |
| community satisfaction survey. Community | | | | Including resident demographic questions in |
| satisfaction surveys enable residents to share their | | | | community satisfaction surveys makes it possible to |
| opinions, perceptions and suggestions about municipal | | | | get survey results reports for the city or town |
| services and government, and specific public issues. | | | | overall, and by resident demographic criteria. Resident |
| The findings from community satisfaction surveys | | | | demographic questions provide useful information and |
| can be shared with residents by posting the survey | | | | insight in community satisfaction surveys, making it |
| results on the city or town web site, in local | | | | possible to see how each demographic group feels |
| newspaper articles and at monthly city or town | | | | about issues and services. Some of the demographic |
| council meetings. | | | | questions that can be included in community |
| Community opinion surveys provide an easy, | | | | satisfaction surveys are the section of the city or |
| cost-effective way for municipal government leaders | | | | town where residents live, their age range, ethnic |
| to gather feedback and suggestions from and to be | | | | background, gender and other pertinent demographic |
| responsive to residents. Community opinion survey | | | | information. |
| results provide information and insight for setting | | | | Benefits of Conducting Community Opinion Surveys |
| priorities and preparing budgets based on feedback | | | | Conducting community satisfaction surveys sends an |
| from residents. Residents often identify ways to | | | | important message to residents that their opinions |
| reduce costs, improve services and get more value | | | | are valued. Community satisfaction surveys enable |
| for their tax dollars. They tell you what is working | | | | residents to easily and cost-effectively voice their |
| well and what needs improvement, and they often | | | | opinions and suggestions. |
| offer insight for how to make needed changes. | | | | Acting on community satisfaction survey results |
| Today, most people including senior citizens use | | | | enables elected and appointed officials and city/town |
| computers and the Internet. A highly effective way | | | | managers to be more responsive to residents and to |
| to conduct a community satisfaction survey is to | | | | increase the performance of the various community |
| conduct an online, or Web survey. Residents can | | | | services and elected and appointed officials. |
| complete the survey at home, at work or at the | | | | Residents' opinions can be factored into budgets, |
| public library. Online/Web surveys are significantly less | | | | initiatives and staffing decisions. |
| costly to conduct than paper or phone surveys. | | | | Conducting and taking action on community |
| Another benefit of online/Web surveys is that once | | | | satisfaction survey feedback increases the |
| the survey response period is closed, reports can be | | | | effectiveness and popularity of mayors, city |
| generated very quickly because paper surveys do | | | | managers and city/town councils. Surveys provide an |
| not have to be collected and date-entered. | | | | opportunity to increase payback on municipal budget |
| Community Satisfaction Survey Metrics | | | | dollars and to demonstrate to residents (remember, |
| Community satisfaction survey ratings provide a clear | | | | they are also tax payers) that elected and/or |
| picture of city and town resident satisfaction. Voters' | | | | appointed officials are interested in running the city or |
| comments and suggestions provide actionable | | | | town government effectively. |
| information and insight for achieving results and being | | | | The bottom line, community satisfaction surveys |
| responsive to voters. | | | | provide significant benefits for mayors, city |
| Community satisfaction surveys are designed to | | | | managers, city and town councils and employees, and |
| gather perceptions about many important issues and | | | | residents. |