Focus

Before the leadership of a southwestern municipality updated its strategy and development plan, council and staff wanted to learn what the residents thought about living in the community and what they’d like to see in town.

Execution

StröngPOINT conducted a community poll of randomly selected town residents to evaluate satisfaction with quality of life and local government.

Paper surveys were sent to households in the target community with the option to reply online or by mail. Community members evaluated their local government, police, parks and recreation, municipal services, and their quality of life. During this time, local leadership actively encouraged participation, and after results were presented at town hall, community members’ opinions were used to guide development decisions made by the town council. Follow-up surveys are currently being conducted every two years to gauge progress and satisfaction.

The Result

  • Residents cared most about health and safety in town, with safety being highly rated with local police.
  • The survey provided town leadership with a ranking of what residents wanted to see in a new town development project; retail options and job opportunities led the pack.
  • The best communication channels to connect with community members were identified and prioritized for continued communication outside of the research scope.
  • The areas of greatest concern moving forward were quantified, and provided a roadmap to the local government on where to prepare and invest in the future.
  • In the follow-up survey two years later, the town received high marks from residents for the progress made and the direction the leaders were taking.