RESEARCH AND TRAINING SPECIALISTS, INCConcord, North Carolina

2008 CITIZEN SATISFACTION SURVEY

Paul C. Friday, Ph.D.President

www.RTSpecialists.com

Sample: Data Collected Fall, 2008

From a list of 16,948 registered voters 3,500 citizens were selected for the sample.

31% (n=985) returned - 308 were bad addresses

95% confidence that the results are within ±3% of voters true responses.

25% of business with renewed privilege licenses were selected. Of 300 surveys mailed, 80 were returned.

95% confidence that the results are within ±10%

Perceptions (Citizens)Scale of 1 to 10

ITEM MEAN

Indian Trail is a good place to raise children 8.1

Indian Trail is a safe place to live 7.8

Indian Trail is a good place to live 7.7

Indian Trail provides a good environment for businesses to succeed 5.9

The town is responsive to my needs 5.6 

Perceptions of town management

MEAN Town employees treat customers courteously 6.2

The hours of operations are adequate for me 5.8

Town leaders are taking I. T. in the right direction 5.5

Good decisions about development 5.1

The Town spends my tax dollars wisely 5.1

Town Management shows strong leadership 5.0 

Perceptions of Indian Trail

Perceptions of Indian Trail

%negative %neutral %positive

Indian Trail is a good place to raise children

2.5% 11.9% 85.6%

Indian Trail is a good place to live

2.7% 12.8% 84.5%

Indian Trail is a safe place to live

2.1% 14.7% 82.9%

Indian Trail provides a good environment for

business

11.1% 31.9% 57.0%

The town is responsive to my needs

11.0% 32.9% 56.1%

Perception of Town Management

Perceptions of Town Management %negative %neutral %positive Business Positive

Town Management shows strong leadership 15.0% 16.0% 78.9% 30.6%

Town employees treat customers courteously 5.1% 16.0% 78.9% x

The hours of operations of town departments are adequate

4.9% 21.3% 73.8% 74.5%

Town leaders are taking Indian Trail in the right direction

14.9% 36.0% 49.1% 36.1%

The Town spends my tax dollars wisely 17.3% 38.4% 44.3% 34.9%

The Town is making good decisions about development

23.1% 36.8% 40.1% 31.3%

Age/Length of Residence as Factors

Persons over 50 years of age are more positive toward the statement that “Indian Trail provides a good environment for business success (52%).”

Most negative are persons 36-50 – 19.7%

Persons over 65 are more positive (57.3%) to the statement that the “Town is responsive to my needs;”

Fewer persons 36-50 are positive (33.4%).

Respondents between the ages of 36 and 50 and those who have lived in the town for 10-15 years tend to be the most negative in responding to the majority of issues – especially development and the expenditure of tax dollars. (The combination represents 11.3% of the total sample)

Household Income

“Indian Trail is a good environment for business” under than $35,000 and $35-$65,000 - POSITIVE over $65,000 - NEGATIVE

  “The town is responsive to my needs.”

under $35,000 and $35-$65,000 - POSITIVE over $65,000 - NEGATIVE

  “Town management shows strong leadership.”

Incomes $35,000-$65,000 -MOST POSITIVE

RECYCLING

87.5% recycle 77% recycle every collection day

The proportion decreases the longer one has lived in Indian Trail (p<.000)

The proportion increases with income

(p<.03)

Evaluation of Departments

There is a general level of satisfaction with police, fire, EMS and animal control.

93.5% satisfied with EMS service 91.8% are satisfied with fire protection 70.4% are satisfied with police protection 60.3% are satisfied with police visibility

The larger the resident’s income, the least likely they are to be satisfied with either police protection (p<.003) or police visibility (p<.003)

Important Issues

The most important issue of those on the survey for citizens is road improvements – 95.8%.

Business: 89.5% Long-term planning for development ranks second –

92.7%  Lower taxes ranks third for citizens (90.2%) while it

ranks first among businesses (91.2%).  The lowest proportion of citizens (69.1%) and

businesses (68.5%) rate public transportation as

important.

Rank order of new projects

What definitely should be done.

98.7% Maintain and improve roads90.0% Increase number of Sheriff Deputies85.1% Purchase land for parks and greenways80.1% Create a Parks/Recreation Department77.8% Create/support a town police department64.3% Build a new Town Hall

Choice of Policing Options

Create town police

department

Increase # of deputies assigned to IT through Union County Sheriff

TotalDefinitely Do Do NOT do

No Opinion/Not

sure

Definitely Do

Count 357 33 106 496

% of Total 37.7% 3.5% 11.2% 52.4%

Do NOT do

Count 81 25 38 144

% of Total 8.6% 2.6% 4.0% 15.2%

No Opinion/Not sure

Count 142 6 158 306

% of Total 15.0% .6% 16.7% 32.3%

TotalCount 580 64 302 946

% of Total 61.3% 6.8% 31.9% 100.0%

New Town Hall

2/3 of the respondents with opinions support a new town hall

Over half living in town 15 or more years

do not want to build a new town hall; Nearly ¾ of those living in the town five to

ten years, want to build the new town hall.

Taxes

2/3 are willing to pay some additional taxes 33.8% are not willing to pay any additional tax.

The average amount of additional tax is $35.  Half of the residents living in Indian Trail 15 years

or more are unwilling to pay any additional tax Those living here five years or less are more willing to

pay additional tax.   Higher income residents are willing to pay more tax than

lower income residents.

Participation in Town Festivities

Fourth of July Celebration 51.1%

Christmas Parade/Tree Lighting38.8%

Family Fun Day 30.8%

Indian Pow Wow 21.5%

Arbor Day 4.7%

Reasons not participating

Either did not know about the event or the details of time and place.

  Out of town 

The primary suggestion More advertizing of the events.

Many did not know about the Arbor Day Event and many others didn’t know what the Indian Pow Wow is.

Conclusion

Response rate EXCEPTIONAL!!! Residents are relatively neutral in perceptions

except Decisions on development Use of taxes

Ambivalent on more deputies or own police – but they want something done

Split on new projects – usually based on age/length of residence

Newer/younger want land/parks, recreation department, town hall

Major point of agreement: Improve roads