[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Citizen Survey results for 2015 presented to City Council

[Press Releases]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sara Humm
Public Communications Specialist
573-874-7240

Citizen Survey results for 2015 presented to City Council

COLUMBIA, MO (August 18, 2016) - The results from the 2015 Citizen Survey were presented to City Council on Monday, Aug. 15. The survey shows that residents generally have a positive perception of the City with 79 percent of respondents saying they are satisfied with the overall quality of life in the City, compared to only 7 percent who are dissatisfied.

City of Columbia Civic Relations Officer Toni Messina said that survey responses are a snapshot of citizen views and a good way to capture opinions from the general public.  

“This is one way to hear from people who may not have the time to express their views in other ways.  We’re grateful for their guidance,” Messina said.

The survey was conducted in fall 2015 by ETC Institute. Surveys were sent to a randomly selected sample of households within the City; 1,016 surveys were submitted by mail, phone and online. The survey serves as a tool for the City of Columbia to identify and respond to resident concerns and assess citizen satisfaction and community priorities. 

Columbia is setting the standard for customer service. Results show that Columbia ranks 18 percent above the Missouri/Kansas average and 19 percent above the national average in overall satisfaction with customer service.

“Consistent and excellent customer service has been one of our top goals for several years,” Messina said.  “Although survey responses show that intense attention to customer service is working, we acknowledge the need to focus on basics like public safety and roads.”

Residents identified police services and the condition of major streets as top priorities for improvement. Ratings for overall quality of services provided and overall feeling of safety in the City both dropped in satisfaction from 2014. Some of the most notable decreases from 2014 to 2015 include how quickly police respond to emergencies, police efforts to prevent crime, condition of sidewalks, clean-up of litter and others. 

Citizens rated Columbia higher than state and national averages when it comes to overall quality of life, overall quality of City services provided and value received for City tax dollars. Some of the most notable increases from 2014 to 2015 include City water, electric, and water services, quality of walking and biking trails, City government being a trusted source of information and more.

Messina said that residents can expect another survey to hit their mailboxes later this year.  

“Besides questions relating to basic City services, we’ll also keep asking for input on the City’s strategic performance.  Response rates have increased over the last few years, and I think that shows people care a lot about Columbia,” Messina said.

To see results and all appendices, click the link: http://www.como.gov/survey-results/2015-citizen-survey/



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