[Archived] Alexandria Residents Give City High Marks In Survey

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	November 6, 2006 PIO# 247-06/jbh	Brian Hannigan, Director of Communications, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

ALEXANDRIA RESIDENTS GIVE CITY HIGH MARKS IN SURVEY
Character, Location, Services and Sense of Community
Produce Exceptional Quality of Life Ratings

Over 97 percent of Alexandrians believe they enjoy a “very good” or “good” quality of life and over 84 percent give similar ratings to the level of City services they receive in relation to the taxes they pay, according to a telephone survey of 1001 residents completed in late September by a leading market research firm.

More than 82 percent (82.7%) of residents surveyed reported their quality of life was as good or better than when the last survey was taken in 2004, reported the “2006 Alexandria Community Survey” conducted by the Center for Research & Public Policy. Center President Jerry Lindsley presented the survey’s findings to the Alexandria City Council at its Annual Retreat on Saturday at the Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School in the Cameron Station area.

The survey, which was conducted using a “super random digit” sampling procedure, also utilized a proportional sampling method that ensures results that are truly representative of the City’s population demographics. Interviews were conducted between the 12^th and 26^th of September. The survey’s margin of error was plus-or-minus 3.0 percent at a confidence level of 95 percent.

Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille welcomed the survey’s findings. “It is encouraging to know that Alexandria residents believe so strongly that they enjoy such a high quality of life and that they appreciate the City services they receive in return for the taxes they pay,” said Mayor Euille. “These survey results are an important management tool for the City Council and City Manager to use as we examine City operations and priorities and focus on areas where we need to do better.”

Following is a summary of the survey’s highlights:

Quality of Life Issues
Alexandrians’ perceptions of the quality of life they enjoy remain high. In 2006, 97.3% suggested their overall quality of life was very good or good. In 2004, 97.2% gave a similar response.

More than four out of five residents surveyed (82.7%) reported their quality of life was better or remained as good as in 2004 – a slight increase over the 2004 response of 79.5%.

Similar to numbers recorded in 2004 (55.7%), 56.8% said they were better off financially now than they were two years ago. Some, 36.2%, indicated they were not better off today than two years ago.

The primary reasons respondents suggested they decided to live in Alexandria continue to be location, proximity to work, housing, town character and community feeling, nice neighborhoods and birthplace.

Things liked best about Alexandria included: convenience, cultural diversity, size of the community, clean, Old Town, safe, peaceful, quality of life , cultural events and the Farmer’s Market.

Local Issues
In an open-end format question, the issues surveyed residents are most concerned about included: traffic (30.0%), taxes (16.0%), school system quality (9.3%), crime (10.0%), and lack of affordable housing (8.5%).

Researchers asked respondents how serious a problem they considered eight different issues. Majorities considered traffic, local real estate taxes, and lack of affordable housing. Approximately one quarter to one third considered the following issues serious: crime, safety and security, quality of public education, amount of parks/fields/open space, and availability of transportation alternatives.

City Services
Overall positive ratings for the fire department (89.9%), emergency medical services (87.3%), and the police department (84.5%) remained similar to ratings collected in 2004 – 91.5%, 89.9% and 84.9% respectively.

Ratings improved somewhat for the performance of sanitary and storm sewer services – up to 70.1% from 66.0% in 2004. However, the overall positive rating for courtesy of City government staff and employees declined to 74.1% from 81.6% in 2004.

Those suggesting the City meets their service expectations always or most of the time moved to 79.3% from 83.3% in 2004.

In a new question for 2006, 84.9% indicated that services in relationship to the taxes paid was very good or good. A much smaller number, 10.7% suggested services are poor or very poor in relation to what they pay.

Over half of all respondents, 56.8% suggested the City should keep service and taxes at about the level they are currently. Another 17.3% would like the City to decrease taxes even if it has to reduce services. And, 15.2% suggested taxes be increased with an associated increase in levels of service. Some 10.7% were unsure.

Service Awareness, Use and Satisfaction
Researchers asked all respondents if the y were aware of fourteen different City services. If they were aware of each, they were asked if they used the services. If they used the service, researchers asked each to rate his or her satisfaction.

The highest satisfaction levels were recorded for City sponsored events, DASH transit, City-maintained parks and athletic fields, Health Department services, the Citizen Assistance Desk in City Hall, refuse collection and the recycling program.

More moderating ratings were recorded for tax payment services, the Department of Human Services, City Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, The Office of Human Rights, and the City car sticker process.

Lower ratings were recorded for Real Estate Assessment services, and building permit and other Code Enforcement Department services.

Communications
Consistent with national trends, survey respondents are more likely since 2004 to use the City web site, the internet and read the City newsletter to get information on City services. They are less likely to use City pamphlets/notices/flyers.

A growing number of resident respondents reported visiting the City’s web site, up to 54.4% from 45.6% in 2004. And, of this group the overall average positive rating for the web site is 79.7%. The average positive rating (on differing characteristics measured) in 2004 was 75.6%.

A declining number of respondents reported reading the City newsletter always or most of the time – down to 50.0% from 59.1%. The average overall positive rating for the newsletter was 82.1% -- up somewhat from 80.1% (on different characteristics measured in 2004).

Emergency Preparedness
While half of all respondents, 50.2% said they did not have enough supplies to last two weeks in case of a major disaster, 47.5% indicated they did. Some, 2.3% were unsure.

Community Needs
When asked about any unmet or under-met community needs, 35.3% said none and 20.1% said “don’t know.”

The most frequently named needs centered on: street maintenance, more recreational centers, more law enforcement, more traffic control, more affordable housing, shelters for homeless, improved education, and preserving the environment.

In total, 46 different community needs were named 1074 times. Less frequently cited needs are presented within the full report, which is available on the City’s website at www.alexandriava.gov.

Headquartered in Trumbull, Connecticut, the Center for Research and Public Policy was founded in 1980 and has worked with hundreds of federal, state and local government agencies in addition to not-for-profit organizations, associations, universities and corporations.

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