HomeMy WebLinkAboutREPORT Auburn 2012.pdf
City of Auburn
CITIZEN OPINIONS OF CITY
AND CITY GOVERNMENT
August 2012
City of Auburn
Citizens’ Opinions of City and
City Government
August 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction...........................................................................1
Methods..................................................................2
Respondent Profile.................................................3
2. Key Findings..........................................................................4
3. Summary...............................................................................7
Quality of Life..........................................................7
City Government Overall Performance................11
Government Priorities...........................................14
Transportation Priorities.......................................18
2. Discussion..........................................................................23
3. Findings...............................................................................24
4. Appendix............................................................................53
Questionnaire with data
Cross-tabulation Tables
AUGUST 2012 .
City of Auburn
Citizens’ Opinions of City
and City Government
August 2012
INTRODUCTION
This report summarizes the results of a telephone survey of Auburn residents
about the quality of life in Auburn, priorities for the future, and the level of
satisfaction with city government and city services. The survey was conducted on
behalf of the City of Auburn by Elway Research.
Specifically, the following subjects have been addressed over the past several
years:
Attitudes and perceptions regarding the overall quality of life in Auburn and
specific aspects of quality of life: the natural environment, recreational and
cultural opportunities, crime and safety, transportation, and job and economic
opportunities.
Satisfaction with city government in general, and in terms of its effectiveness,
efficiency and accountability.
Use and importance of various city departments and services.
Satisfaction with departments and services.
Desire for additional services and willingness to pay.
Use of downtown Auburn.
Demographic information was included in order to compare and contrast
responses from various categories of resident.
Where possible, these findings are compared with finding from similar surveys in
2011, 2009 and 2008.
This report includes Key Findings and a narrative summary of the findings, with
analysis. The narrative is followed by annotated charts of the pertinent survey
results. A complete set of cross-tabulation tables is presented in the appendix.
City of Auburn 2
AUGUST 2012 .
METHODS
SAMPLE: 505 adult heads of household in the City of Auburn
were interviewed. Quotas for each neighborhood
were established based on population estimates
provided by the City.
TECHNIQUE: Telephone Survey
FIELD DATES: August 6-12, 2012
MARGIN OF ERROR: 4.5% at the 95% confidence interval. That is, in
theory, had all similarly qualified Auburn residents
been interviewed, there is a 95% probability that the
results would be within 4.5% of the results in this
survey.
DATA COLLECTION: Calls were made during weekday evenings and
weekend days from a central facility by trained,
professional interviewers under supervision. Up to
four attempts were made to contact a head of
household at each number in the sample before a
substitute number was called. Questionnaires were
edited for completeness, and a percentage of each
interviewer’s calls were verified by re-calling.
OPEN-ENDED ITEMS A number of the questions were open-ended,
allowing the respondent to express answers in
his/her own words. Responses to these items were
recorded as close to verbatim as possible, then
categorized and coded for analysis.
DATA WEIGHTING The data were statistically weighted to more closely
reflect the proportion of renters in the population,
and to achieve gender balance. The findings
presented in this report are based on this weighted
data.
It must be kept in mind that survey research cannot predict the future.
Although great care was employed in the design, execution and analysis of
this survey, these results can be interpreted only as representing the
answers given by these respondents to these questions at the time they
were interviewed.
City of Auburn 3
AUGUST 2012 .
RESPONDENT PROFILE
In interpreting these findings, it is important to keep in mind the characteristics of
the people actually interviewed. This table presents a profile of the 500
respondents in the survey, using the weighted data.
Note: Here and throughout this report, percentages may not add to 100%, due to rounding.
GENDER: 48%
52%
Male
Female
NEIGHBORHOOD: 28%
21%
1%
7%
3%
13%
19%
8%
North
South
SE/Chinook
West
Downtown
Lakeland
Lea HIll
Plateau
AGE: 12%
11%
24%
22%
28%
18-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
LENGTH OF RESIDENCE: 5%
15%
22%
27%
31%
0-1 Year
2-5 Years
6-10 Years
11-20 Years
20+ years
OWN / RENT: 62%
36%
Own
Rent
HOUSEHOLD TYPE: 29%
33%
25%
10%
Couple with children at home
Couple with no children at home
Single with no children at home
Single with children at home
ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD
INCOME:
21%
16%
20%
11%
12%
20%
$35,000 or less
Over $35,000 to $50,000
Over $50,000 to $74,000
$75,000 to $99,000
$100,000 or more
No response
City of Auburn 4
AUGUST 2012 .
KEY FINDINGS
Quality of life indicators remain positive:
4 in 10 rated the overall quality of life in Auburn as “highly” positive
(8 -10 on a 0-10 point scale);
This was a slight decrease from 2011 and down from the peak of 49% in
2009.
Natural environment still rated highest aspect of quality of life:
Half rated the Environment “high” (8–10), as in the previous three surveys;
Recreation and Cultural Opportunities ratings were still very positive, but
declined from 2011 (to an average rating of 6.6 from 7.0).
“Job and Economic Opportunities” still lowest in “quality of life”
ratings:
This rating has dropped in each successive survey, with 13% rating it "high."
“Crime and Safety” satisfactory in general, but possible issue for
neighborhoods:
Around 1 in 4 gave it a “highly positive” rating this year, the same as in
2011.
It is no longer the most commonly mentioned concern about living in
Auburn, with "transportation" now in the top spot.
More than 4 in 5 still felt safe - in Auburn generally, and even more so in
their own neighborhood.
However, residents feel slightly less safe in their neighborhoods than in
2011.
Most common “plusses” of Auburn life rose slightly:
“Atmosphere” (1 in 3) and “location” (1 in 5) were still the most frequently
mentioned benefits to living in Auburn; each fell slightly.
“Amenities” dropped to the fourth-most mentioned benefit.
"Sense of community" was mentioned by 1 in 10.
City of Auburn 5
AUGUST 2012 .
Reviews of city government are still positive, but down slightly:
6 in 10 who had any contact with city staff were generally satisfied, down
slightly from 7 in 10 in the previous survey.
Around half gave the city positive reviews for keeping citizens informed,
though positives for keeping them involved in decisions fell from 46% to
40%.
More now feel that the City focused on the “wrong things” rather than the
“right,” by six percentage points. This represents an increase in those
answering "wrong things" from 2011, from 29% to 41%.
Almost 2 in 3 rated “the level of city services for the amount of taxes paid”
at the mid-point or above on a 10 point scale (5-10). However,
only 1 in 4 gave a “high” rating.
Fewer than half overall said that their tax dollars were “well spent,” a ten-
point decrease from the 6 in 10 who thought so in 2011 and 2009.
6 in 10 thought that the city was generally effective, efficient, and/or
accountable, though the ratings for efficiency declined.
Around 15% rated the city government as “very” accountable. About 1 in 10
said “very” efficient or “very” effective.
Parks and Recreation still most used service:
Almost 6 in 10 said they had used the Parks, Arts, and Recreation
Department in the past 12 months.
Second most used was Utility billing, with 1 in 3.
Despite this, Parks and Recreation was also the service most willing to be
cut in order to decrease taxes.
Police, Parks and Internet Access were “Stars”
These services were rated above average for importance and for
performance (compared to other departments).
Community Events and Public Transportation also earned above average
grades, although they were relatively less important.
If respondents had to increase property taxes to maintain any service, they
would most often be inclined to do so for police services (1 in 4 would.)
City of Auburn 6
AUGUST 2012 .
Street, road and sidewalk conditions consistently highlighted:
“Conditions of Streets” and “Street Maintenance” were the two “imperative
services”: they scored above average in importance, but below average in
performance. Their “grades” were below average (C+/B-).
“Conditions of Sidewalks” had similar ratings - its performance grade was
equally poor, but it was slightly less important.
"General maintenance" was picked by most to be the highest transportation
priority.
SUMMARY
City of Auburn 7
AUGUST 2012 .
QUALITY OF LIFE
This section summarizes the survey findings and compares this year’s results to
those of previous years. Several of the measures are slightly lower this year than
last. In most instances the differences are not statistically significant, which
means they could be the result of random variation in the data rather than actual
change in resident thinking. Statistically significant differences are noted. By
convention, the standard we use to determine statistical significance is (p.<.05),
which means that there is a less than 5% probability that the results could have
occurred due to random variation.
CONTINUED POSITIVE RATINGS FOR QUALITY OF LIFE
Perception of the overall quality of life in Auburn has remained relatively steady.
The average rating for 2012 is only one-tenth of a point lower than it was in 2011
on a scale of 0 to 10. This difference is not statistically significant, meaning it
could be due to random variation.
41% this year rated the Quality of Life between 8 and 10, compared to
45% in 2011,
49% in 2009 and
42% in 2008;
53% rated it “moderate” (4-7); while only
6% said that it was “poor” (0-3).
Resident thinking about living in Auburn is measured in several ways in these
annual surveys. Respondents were asked in an open-ended question what they
liked best about living in Auburn, then asked to rate five quality of life indicators.
They were also asked other specific questions about living here.
Auburn’s Atmosphere its Best Quality
Auburn residents continue to enjoy the character of the town more so than any
other quality. The top two positive attributes volunteered about Auburn have been
“atmosphere” and “location" each year this survey has been conducted, followed
by "amenities" and “sense of community.”
City of Auburn 8
AUGUST 2012 .
When asked in an open-ended question what they “like most” about living in
Auburn:
31% volunteered something about the city’s atmosphere, including
9% who said it was quiet or peaceful,
7% who mentioned their neighborhood or said it was a “nice area," and
2% who appreciated the lack of crime.
33% cited the atmosphere in 2011,
28% did so in 2009, while
22% did in 2008.
Mention of location, including proximity and convenience, dropped back slightlyto
the 2009 level:
17% volunteered location this year, down from
21% in 2011, but up from
16% in 2009 and
8% in 2008.
Transportation Replaces Crime as Top Concern
Transportation issues, chiefly street repairs and congestion, replaced crime as
the most-cited “problem or issue that concern you about living in Auburn.”
Mentions of crime and public safety dropped to 23% this year, compared to 32%
last year.
Some 30% volunteered a transportation issue in response to the open-ended
question, up from 19% last year, but not nearly as high as the 50% who named
transportation issues in 2008. As noted below, overall rating of transportation as
a quality of life indicator decreased from 6.7 on the 0-10 scale last year to 6.0
this year.
Quality of Life Indicators Down Slightly in 3 of 5 Categories
Of the five quality of life categories which residents were asked to assess, three
were slightly lower than in 2011: natural environment, jobs/economic
opportunities, and recreation/cultural opportunities. The drop was statistically
significant for only one of these, however:
Recreation, which declined to 6.6 from 7.0 in 2011.
The change was not statistically significant for:
Natural environment, 7.1 (from 7.3 in 2011); nor
Jobs, 5.0 (from 5.4 in 2011).
Ratings for the two other indicators were virtually unchanged:
Transportation, to 6.0 (from 5.8 in 2011); and
City of Auburn 9
AUGUST 2012 .
Crime and safety, to 5.8 (from 5.7).
Crime and Safety Better Generally, Issue for Neighborhoods
Perceptions of crime as safety were addressed at three different places in the
survey. First, as noted, public safety issues were replaced by transportation as the
top-mentioned concern about living in Auburn. For the first time since 2008,
residents were less likely to bring up crime than transportation in the open-ended
question asking respondents to name any “problems or issues that concern you
about living in Auburn.” This year
23% cited crime and/or safety as a concern, down from
32% in 2011 and
25% in 2009, though up from
16% in 2008.
Second, it was included in the five overall quality of life ratings, where it was
essentially unchanged from last year. The average rating on the 0-10 scale this
year was 5.8, exactly the same as last year (10= “excellent’), suggesting that the
decreased number of mentions for crime as a problem might be due less to
increased satisfaction with safety than with other issues looming larger in
importance, especially transportation. Given the steady decline in strong
agreement that Auburn is safe in general since 2009 (from 37% then to 27% this
year), this may point to crime as a sleeper issue that could resurface in the future.
Third, respondents were asked directly whether they felt safe in Auburn and in
their own neighborhood. While residents were slightly less likely to agree that they
felt safe in Auburn, this was not statistically significant:
27% "agreed strongly" that they felt safe in Auburn, vs.
31% in 2011 and
37% in 2009; while
16% disagreed that they felt safe in Auburn, vs.
13% in 2011 and
12% in 2009.
There was a significant decline in residents' feelings of safety in their
neighborhood. When given the statement "I feel safe in my neighborhood…"
37% agreed strongly, down from
43% in 2011 and 2009; while
13% disagreed, down from
10% in 2011 and
9% in 2009.
In addition to these direct assessments, crime came up again later in a question
about the focus of city government. 9% of respondents cited crime as an example
of the city being focused on the “right things," an increase from the 3% who
brought it up in 2011. In fact, crime was now almost equal to the 10% in 2009
who cited it as an example of city government working well - a year in which a
City of Auburn 10
AUGUST 2012 .
nearly equal number of people mentioned crime as a particular problem in
Auburn (25% in 2009, 23% in 2012).
“Good Place for Families”
Nine in 10 respondents continued to agree that Auburn was a “good place for
families:”
89% agreed this year (37% “strongly agreed”). This was equivalent to
88% in 2011 (44% “strongly”),
89% in 2009 (46% “strongly”), and
90% in 2008 (44% “strongly”).
Most Visit Downtown Regularly
Nearly six in 10 respondents (57%) said they had visited Downtown Auburn 12
times or more in the past 12 months, slightly fewer than in 2011. Almost all
respondents (97%) had been downtown at least once in the past year.
City of Auburn 11
AUGUST 2012 .
CITY GOVERNMENT
OVERALL PERFORMANCE
OPINIONS OF CITY GOVERNMENT DOWN SLIGHTLY
Attention to city government was unchanged from 2011:
59% said paid at least some attention to Auburn City Government, including
20% who said they paid “a lot of attention.” This is nearly identical to 2011.
City Government’s Focus
Opinion about whether the focus of Auburn City Government is appropriate
decreased significantly from previous levels. The proportion who has said that the
city is generally focused on the “right things has been constant since 2009”
35% said city government is focused on the right things this year
37% said so in 2011, and
36% said so in 2009.
The change this years is attributable to an increase in the proportion who said the
city is focused on the “wrong things”:
41% said that the City focused on the “wrong things,” compared to
29% last year and
32% in 2009.
As examples of city government being focused on the “right things” respondents
volunteered:
23% Roads and street improvements, a marked jump from the
11% who cited streets in 2011;
16% Downtown revitalization (up from 12% in 2011);
13% Parks/recreation (similar to 11% in 2011);
5% Education/schools (down from 10%); and
4% the government/mayor in general
(down from 8% in 2011, and 13% in 2009).
Although more respondents said that government focused on the wrong things,
residents were far less likely to converge on a single area than in 2011, when
32% mentioned inefficient or wasteful spending. This year, only 9% did so. Of
those who said the city was focused on the “wrong things":
20% “inefficient government” or wasteful spending
13% said "road and sidewalk maintenance";
12% Downtown revitalization (the same as in 2011);
8% Narrow streets (11% in 2011).
City of Auburn 12
AUGUST 2012 .
City Government Performance Ratings Remain Positive
City government performance rating on three criteria were strongly positive and
little changed from last year. More than 6 in 10 respondents rated Auburn city
government as at least "mostly" effective, efficient and accountable.
While these ratings were slightly less enthusiastic than in 2011, only one
represented a statically significant change statistically significant: those saying
the government is “very efficient.”
64% said city government is effective, up from 62% in 2011
(10% said “very effective”).
62% rated it efficient, down slightly from 64% in 2011
(10% “very efficient,” down from the 14% who said so in 2011); and
64% rated it accountable, up slightly from the 62% in 2011 and 2009
(16% said “very accountable,” down from 20% in 2011);
General Satisfaction with Tax Expenditures
Most respondents indicated general satisfaction with “the level of city services for
the amount of taxes paid.” On a scale of 0 (“not at all satisfied”) to 10 (“highly
satisfied”), 67% gave a rating above the scale mid-point and 25% gave a rating of
8-10. These ratings are almost identical to 2008, after having improved slightly
in 2009 and 2011. This year:
25% rated the level of city taxes 8-10 on a 10-point scale, slightly lower than the
30% who did so in 2011 or 2009;
18% gave a 0-3 rating, up slightly from
15% in 2011.
At the end of the survey, just under 5 in 10 respondents said that their tax dollars
were “well-spent” in Auburn.” This is a significant decline from the 59% who had
said so in 2011 and 2009.
49% said “well-spent” (59% in 2011);
39% said “not well-spent” (30% in 2011); and
12% had no opinion.
City of Auburn 13
AUGUST 2012 .
COMMUNICATING WITH CITIZENS
Several measures were included to assess the communication between city
government and citizens.
Positive Ratings for Informing, Involving Citizens
A majority again rated the city’s efforts to inform citizens positively, although the
ratings are down from previous years. The decline from 2011 to 2012 is
statistically significant for both “keeping citizens informed” and “providing
residents an opportunity to be involved” in city decisions.
50% rated the city as “excellent” or “good” as keeping citizens informed, vs.
57% in 2011.
45% rated the city “only fair” or “poor” this year, vs.
36% in 2011
When it came to “providing residents an opportunity to be involved” in city
decisions:
40% rated the city “excellent or “good” this year, compared to
46% in 2011 while
49% said “only fair” or “poor” this year, compared to
42% in 2011.
Some 22% of respondents were on a city-sponsored list to receive e-mail updates,
This is down significantly from 29% last year, but up from 18% in 2009.
Satisfaction with City Contact Decreased
One in three respondents (31%) had contacted city government in the past year,
virtually the same as in 2011 (33%) and 2009 (34%).
In-person contact with the city was significantly lower than previously, while
phone and internet contact each increased. More than twice as many contacted
the city via phone (57%) than in-person (27%), a shift from a relatively even split
just last year.
Contact with the city government via Internet has consistently, if slightly,
increased each year, from 8% in 2009 to 13% this year.
Of those who had contact with city government, 6 in 10 (62%) were “generally
satisfied” with the result, significantly down from 75% in 2011, but generally in
line with the 66% in 2009.
The departments contacted most often was nearly the same as in 2011:
The police (30% of contacts, or 9% of all respondents);
Utilities/water department (17% of contacts, or 5% of all respondents); and
The mayor’s office (12% of contacts; 4% of all respondents).
Every department mentioned had a positive ratio.
City of Auburn 14
AUGUST 2012 .
GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES
USE OF CITY SERVICES
Use of city services has remained relative constant over the 4 years this survey
has been conducted.
Parks and Recreation continued to be the most used city service, as it has been
each year (58% reported having used these services in the last 12 months). As in
previous years, Parks was followed, in order, by Utility Billing (32%), Police
Services (25%), Finance Utilities (11%) and Public Works (9%).
All of these services except Utility Billing registered an increase over last year.
Only the increase in police services (17% to 25%) was statistically significant.
Utility billing has been exactly the same since 2009.
IMPORTANCE, RATINGS OF CITY SERVICES
The perceived importance of various city services has remained relatively stable
over the survey years. Respondent are asked to rate the importance of a list of
city services on a scale of [0] “not important to you” to [10] “very important to
you.” The range of average scores this year was 8.7 to 4.8. In 2011 it was 8.4 to
5.2., while in 2009 it was 8.5 to 5.6.
Compared to last year, the average importance ratings were higher for 5 of the 12
services, lower for 6 and exactly the same for 1. Seven of the changes were
statistically significant (indicated with *):
Police Services (8.4 to 8.7)*
Water Service (7.8 to 7.9)
Street Maintenance (7.4 to 7.9)*
Street Condition (7.5 to 7.7)
Sidewalks (7.1)
Parks & Recreation (7.9 to 7.4)*
Internet Access (7.5 to 7.1)*
Parking (7.1 to 6.9)
Events (7.1 to 6.6)*
Permitting (5.2 to 4.8)
Street Landscaping (6.8 to 6.3)*
Public Transportation (6.8 to 6.1)*
City of Auburn 15
AUGUST 2012 .
The ranking of services shifted somewhat from last year:
Police services were ranked first, as they have been each year
Parks & Recreation dropped from #2 to #6, moving all the services just below
Parks up one position.
Water service moved up from #3 to #2
Street maintenance moved up from #4 to #3
Condition of streets moved up from #5 to #4.
As in previous surveys, only 1 in 5 could think of any additional services that they
wished the City would provide. No more than 3% of respondents mentioned the
same service (Public transportation).
GRADING CITY SERVICES
Respondents were again asked to grade these same city services “using letter
grades like they do in school” – with A for Excellent, B for Good, C for Satisfactory,
D for Unsatisfactory, F for Failing. This year’s sample of residents were much
tougher graders than last year’s. Compared to last year, these respondents gave
lower grades for every city service.
The highest grades went to:
Police Services
31% said “A,” down from 39% in 2011 (GPA = 2.9, down from 3.1 in 2011).
Community Events Produced by the City
29% graded this an “A” (down from 40% in 2011) with an overall “GPA" of 3.0;
Parks & Recreation Services and Programs
29% gave this an “A” (down from 41% in 2011) with an overall “GPA" of 3.0;
Aside from the Permit Center, which half were unable to grade at all, streets and
sidewalk issues had the lowest ratings. They earned the most “Cs,” “Ds,” and
“Fs.” This included:
The condition of the sidewalks (15% grade D or F; GPA=2.4);
Street maintenance (21% grade D or F; GPA=2.2); and
The condition of the streets (26% grade D or F; GPA=2.1).
Police and Parks Still Rated City “Stars”
A quadrant analysis was again used to explore the relationship between
importance and performance. This chart simultaneously displays the average
importance and performance scores for each service. It then displays the position
of each service by both dimensions (see below
It is important to note that none of the services were rated as unimportant: the
lowest importance average was 4.8 on a 0-10 scale. Similarly, the “grade point
averages” for performances ranged from 2.1 to 3.0 on the 0-4 scale. The
quadrants, therefore, show the departments’ relative positions, around the
overall averages for importance and performance. The lines dividing the
quadrants on the chart are the average scores for all services.
City of Auburn 16
AUGUST 2012 .
CITY SERVICES BY IMPORTANCE, PERFORMANCE
Public Transportation
Condition of Streets
Condition of Sidewalks
Parking Availability
Street Maintenance
Sidewalk/Street
Landscaping
Internet Access
Police Service
Water Service
Parks & Recreation
Permit Staff/Process
Major Community
Events
4.50
5.00
5.50
6.00
6.50
7.00
7.50
8.00
8.50
9.00
2.002.252.502.753.003.253.50
PERFORMANCE
IM
P
O
R
T
A
N
C
E
This chart plots the average score for importance and performance for each service. The quadrants are
created using the overall average rating for all services for each measure.
“Stars”- scored above average for both importance and city performance:
Police Services (as in 2011 and 2009);
Parks & Recreation (as in 2011 and 2009);
Water Service, (up from ”Imperative” 2011);
Internet Access (as in 2011).
“Imperatives” - rated above average in importance, but below average for
performance.
Street Maintenance, as in previous years;
The Condition of Streets, as in previous years; and
The condition of the sidewalks (up from “Lesser Priority in 2011)
“Successes” - scored above average for performance, but below average on
importance; these were unchanged from 2011.
Major Community Events;
Public Transportation.
“Lesser Priorities,” - rated below average in importance and performance. As in
2009 and 2011 they included:
Parking Availability (just below the average score for importance);
Sidewalk and Street Landscaping; and
Permit Staff/Process.
Mean
LESSER PRIORITIES SUCCESSES
IMPERATIVES
STARS
City of Auburn 17
AUGUST 2012 .
CITY BUDGET PRIORITIES
Police Still Favored For Increase; Parks and Recreation, Job
Creation Acceptable to be Cut to Help Taxes
As a way of determining city budget priorities, respondents were asked if there
were city program categories for which they would support a property tax increase
in order to keep at current service levels. Then, on the flip side, were there
programs they would cut in order to reduce property taxes.
As in previous years, Police Services topped the list of programs to keep and
parks headed the list of programs to cut, even though parks and recreation was
the most-utilized city service, park usage was up, parks was the third-highest
rated city services and it scored as one of the four “star” programs.
When asked which one service they would support an increase in property taxes
in order to maintain at current service levels:
26% chose “Police,” down from 33% in 2011;
23% said “Job Creation;”
23% said Roads, up from 19% in 2011;
13% said Parks and Recreation; and
11% would not be willing to accept an increase in property taxes to maintain any
service at its current levels (mostly unchanged from 10% in 2011).
They were then asked which one they would cut first in order to reduce property
taxes. The top answer was:
28% would not want to see any service cut, even if it would lower taxes.
Two programs stood out:
26% would cut “Parks and Recreation” to reduce taxes; and
23% would reduce Job Creation.
That “job creation” was #2 on both lists, with exactly the same proportion of
voters (23%) saying they would increase taxes to pay for it and would cut it first to
reduce taxes, indicates deep public division on what the city’s role should be with
regard to economic development.
City of Auburn 18
AUGUST 2012 .
TRANSPORTATION
PRIORITIES
Despite transportation’s persistent place near the top of Auburn residents
concerns – indeed topping the list of concerns this year – a transportation
improvements measure recently failed at the polls. A number of items were
added to the regular questions on transportation issues to help shed light on
citizen’s thinking about this issue.
Transportation is clearly on the top of Auburn residents’ minds. To review the
findings in this survey:
Transportation was the top “problem or concern about living in Auburn,"
volunteered by 30% of respondents;
The rating for transportation as a quality of life indicator has declined over the
last two years, from 6.6 on the 0-10 scale in 2009 to 6.0 this year.
Of those who think city government is focused on the right things, 23% cited
street improvements as an example of that – the top issue listed;
Street maintenance and street condition were the #3 and #4 ranked “city
services and facilities,” with 65% and 63% rating them very important (8-10 on
a 0-10 scale);
“Condition of streets” was the lowest rated of 12 city service graded; street
maintenance was next to lowest;
Support for paying and extra $120 per year for repair of major arterials has
been steady for the last three years with a majority at least “moderately likely”
to support such a plan, although the proportion of those “highly likely” slipped
slightly this year form 30% to 27%;
23% of respondents chose roads as the one city service for which they would be
willing to support a property tax increase to maintain the current service level-
placing it in a tie with job creation and behind only police;
Only 10% chose roads as the one service they would cut in order to reduce their
property taxes – second lowest to police services.
Given this context, the last section of the interview focused on citizens’ priorities
for transportation improvements and information they want about improvement
projects.
City of Auburn 19
AUGUST 2012 .
"General Maintenance" Top Transportation Priority
More than half of these respondents chose “general maintenance of existing
streets and sidewalks” at the top (33%) or “next highest” (19%) priority for
transportation in Auburn. Only 8% said it should be the lowest priority.
Support was also high for "Improving arterials and major roads," with 42% rating it
in the top two:
20% said it was the top priority,
22% the second-highest, and
12% the lowest.
"Improving streets in neighborhoods" was the only other priority rated in the top
two by more that 1 in 3 respondents:
14% said it was top,
20% said it was second, and
9% said it was the lowest.
Improving intersections was rated among the top two by 21%, but rated the
lowest priority by 14%.
Two of the projects listed were ranked as the lowest priority by more residents
than ranking it in the top two:
Expanding public transportation (25% top two; 26% lowest); and
Installing and repairing sidewalks (17% top two; 22% lowest).
ARGUMENTS AND INFORMATION FOR TRANSPORTATION
Personal Impact Arguments Most Powerful
Respondents generally agreed with all of the arguments presented in favor of
improving transportation in Auburn. Of 6 arguments tested for why transportation
improvements might be important, all were agreed with by at least 8 in 10
respondents. Arguments that received the strongest support all stressed personal
benefit:
61% strongly agreed that "Smooth roads and fewer potholes saves wear and tear
on vehicles" (an additional 35% simply "agreed"), while
54% strongly agreed that "Reduced traffic congestion saves everyone time and
hassle" (plus 40% "agree").
Three that made an argument in favor of how such projects could benefit the
community received relatively weaker support:
43% strongly agreed that "Better roads and sidewalks make for safer
neighborhoods and community" (plus 45% "agree");
40% strongly agreed that "Roads projects create immediate jobs in the
construction industry" (plus 49% "agree"); and
33% strongly agreed that "Better roads will help attract businesses and jobs to
Auburn" (plus 49% "agree").
City of Auburn 20
AUGUST 2012 .
Cost Information Most Salient
A focus on money came up in two places:
94% agreed that "It saves money in the long run to fix roads before they fail"
(including 51% who agreed strongly);
47% said "information about how much the project will cost" would be the “most
useful information” to them in deciding whether to support a specific
transportation project; another
36% said a cost-benefit analysis on street improvements would be most helpful.
The cost issues were ranked the #1 and 2 most useful pieces of information in
helping respondents to decide whether to support a particular project. Below
them on the list were:
33% Maps of where the project will occur;
30% Information on the schedule of the projects to be completed;
26% Information about how the project was selected.
Auburn Reporter Most Reliable Source of Information
Respondents were also asked what sources they relied on the most for
information about transportation projects. Responses were similar to a question
asked in previous years about where citizens got their information in general, with
newspapers dominating:
55% said the Auburn Reporter,
31% said friends and family, while
18% said the mayor and city council.
TRANSPORTATION LEVY POST-MORTEM
Supporters of the recent transportation ballot measure outnumbered opponents
by better than 2:1. but 1/3 of respondents refused to answer:
47% said they had supported it, while
21% reported opposing it, and
32% would not say.
Given the measure's failure to pass, these data are clearly skewed, most likely by
the high refusal rate. This 32% represents the highest refusal rate of any item in
the survey, even higher than the 25% would not disclose their income.
Clearly not all of these respondents did not participate in the recent election. It is
not possible to separate those who did not vote from those who simply refused to
disclose their position. We do know that 25% of these respondents answered
"Don't know" to a subsequent question about why the levy might have failed, far
higher than the 7% of self-professed supporters and 5% of opponents who did so.
City of Auburn 21
AUGUST 2012 .
Nevertheless, some trends emerged in answers to this follow-up question about
"which reasons contributed to the measure not passing":
46% said "The economy is just too bad right now to raise taxes"
26% said "The proposal was too expensive"
25% said "People did not get enough information about the proposal," while
27% mentioned other reasons, and
13% didn't know.
However, these trends were not the same for those who opposed the measure
and those who supported it.
Opponents were most likely to cite as reasons:
43% The economy is just too bad right now to raise taxes
38% The proposal was too expensive
17% People did not get enough information about the proposal
18% Too focused on major roads – not enough on local streets
13% There are other things that need money ahead of roads and streets
Supporters, meanwhile, were more likely to blame the economy in general than
the specific proposal:
53% The economy is just too bad right now to raise taxes
24% The proposal was too expensive
25% People did not get enough information about the proposal
13% Too focused on major roads – not enough on local streets
11% There are other things that need money ahead of roads and streets
The question of taxes and spending separated levy supporters and opponents in
another question, not directly related to transportation:
63% of levy supporters said they thought their tax dollars were generally
well-spent by Auburn city government, whereas
61% of opponents said their taxes were not well spent.
Those who would not disclose their position were evenly divided (40% said “well
spent” and 39% said “not”).
Transportation Priorities Differ Only Somewhat
Supporters and opponents generally agreed on the top priorities for
transportation, although opponents were much more likely to say that public
transportation should be the lowest priority (39% of opponents vs. 25% of
supporters). The table below indicates the first, second and lowest priority for
each of the project categories, as ranked by supporters and opponents of the
recent measure, plus those who would not disclose their position.
City of Auburn 22
AUGUST 2012 .
Transportation Priorities of
Levy Supporters and Opponents
SUPPORTERS TOP SECOND LOWEST SUM*
General maintenance 31 20 6 45
Arterials 23 23 11 35
Streets 12 20 11 21
Public trans 17 14 25 6
Intersections 7 9 16 0
Sidewalks 6 11 20 -3
OPPONENTS
General maintenance 34 16 7 43
Streets 19 26 4 41
Arterials 22 23 8 37
Intersections 4 16 15 5
Sidewalks 8 6 24 -10
Public trans 11 8 39 -20
WON’T SAY
General maintenance 35 20 13 42
Streets 15 17 9 23
Arterials 15 20 14 21
Intersections 8 19 11 16
Public trans 13 9 19 3
Sidewalks 4 13 25 -8
* SUM = (Top Priority) + (Second) – (Lowest)
There was general concurrence between supporters, opponents and non-
disclosers with regard to the test arguments. A majority of each type agreed with
every statement. Supporters were more likely to agree “strongly” with each
statement than either opponents or non-disclosers.
City of Auburn 23
AUGUST 2012 .
DISCUSSION
Auburn residents continue to have a relatively positive view of their city and its
government. Although ratings of some key quality of life indicators are down
slightly this year, residents’ overall assessment of Auburn’s quality of life has
remained positive and stable since the first survey in 2008.
Auburn citizens continue to have generally positive perceptions of city
government. Although the ratings were slightly down this year, city government
continues to receive positive marks for tax dollar value, effectiveness, efficiency,
accountability and focus.
Transportation replaced crime as the top concern volunteered by residents,
although perceptions of safety were somewhat lower for both the city and
respondent’s own neighborhood. Ratings of crime as a quality of life indicator was
the same as last year, and police services remain the most vial city service
Although residents named transportation issues as a top concern, they were most
likely to be thinking of maintenance and repair of exiting infrastructure than new
projects. All three of the “imperatives” in the importance/performance quadrant
analysis were street maintenance items: “street maintenance,” conditions of
streets” and “condition of sidewalks.” When given a list of transportation
priorities, they rated as #1 “general maintenance of existing streets and
sidewalks.”
City government continues to be seen by most as doing a good job of informing
citizens. There were some items to watch in the area of communicating with
citizens, however. For the first time more respondents gave negative than positive
ratings to involving citizens in city decisions. Additionally, satisfaction ratings
declined among citizens who had personal contact with city staff, as did the
number of in-person contacts with city staff.
Although having the indicators move in a positive direction would be more
encouraging, few of these differences are statistically significant, meaning that
citizens’ overall assessment of Auburn City Government is the same as it was last
year. Given the prolonged economic difficulties and the subsequent strain on
people’s wellbeing and optimism, this is not a bad place to be.
FINDINGS
City of Auburn 24
AUGUST 2012 .
Quality of Life Perception
Remains Positive, Stable
41
45
49
42
53
50
46
51
6
5
4
6
2012
2011
2009
2008
High (8-10)Moderate (4-7)Low (0-3)No Opinion
Question 3: Overall, how would you rate the quality of life in Auburn? Please give a rating on a scale
of zero to 10, where 10 means you think the city has an “excellent” quality of life, a “0” means it has a
“poor” quality of life. A rating of 5 is in the middle.
Higher satisfaction among longtime, older residents:
Those over 65 were most likely to say "excellent" (50%), while 18-34
year olds were the least (37%).
Residents who had been here less than a year gave fewer "excellent"
ratings (22%) than those who had been in Auburn longer than a year
(42%).
Being in Auburn a moderate amount of time (2-5 years) was most likely
to result in a "poor" response (10% v. 5% for all others).
Lower satisfaction among very high, low-income residents:
Of households with incomes over $100,000, 37% said the quality of
life was "excellent," the least of any income category, except for:
Those with incomes less than $35,000, 29% of whom said the quality
of life was excellent.
Mean
6.8
6.9
7.1
6.8
City of Auburn 25
AUGUST 2012 .
Residents Consider Auburn's “Atmosphere” Its Most
Positive Attribute
1
4
17
2
4
3
3
3
16
8
22
1
2
8
7
6
5
2
3
5
8
16
28
1
5
3
4
6
8
13
2
6
11
21
33
1
2
5
5
6
6
8
9
9
10
17
31
City Government
Transportation/Traffic
Public Service
Size
Economy
Physical Environment
Amenities/Things to Do
Other
Born Here/Family Here
Sense of Community
Location
Atmosphere
2012
2011
2009
2008
Question 4: What do you like most about living in Auburn?
Atmosphere 31
“Atmosphere” (Urban / Small City) 12
Quiet / Peaceful 9
“Nice” Area / Neighborhood 7
Safety / No Crime 2
Comfortable / Slower Pace 1
Location 17
Location / Convenience 10
Proximity To Seattle / Other Cities 3
Proximity to Recreation 2
Other LOCATION 1
Sense Of Community 10
Friendly People 6
Sense of Community 2
Not Overpopulated 1
Diverse Population 1
Born Here / Family Here 9
Family/Friends Here/Family
Atmosphere
6
Born here/never lived anywhr else 3
Amenities / Things to do 8
Shopping/Businesses 5
Variety of things to do 1
Downtown 1
Other Non-Govt Amenities 1
Economy 6
Job is here/ close to work 3
Cost of Living/Affordable 2
Housing 1
Physical Environment 6
Scenic beauty 2
“Physical surroundings” 1
Clean 1
Water 1
Other PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 1
Public Services 5
Schools / Education 4
Parks & Recreation 1
Size 5
Small 4
Other SIZE 1
Transportation / Traffic 2
Transportation is convenient 1
Pedestrian Friendly / Can Walk
Everywhere
1
City government 1
Listens To Residents 1
Non-Specific 3
Parks / Open Spaces 3
Nothing 5
Everything 1
Other 1
Don't know 4
City of Auburn 26
AUGUST 2012 .
Traffic Replaces Crime as Top Concern
Question 5: What would you say are some problems or issues that concern you about living in
Auburn?
Traffic particular problem for low-income households, Northern
neighborhoods
Low-income residents more likely to note traffic as concern (40% of
those making under $35,000 v. 26% for all others).
Those in the north (34%) more concerned about traffic than residents
in Lea Hill (24%).
Traffic / Transportation 30
Traffic Congestion 9
Street Repairs / Sidewalks 15
Mass Transit 3
Other 3
Crime / Safety 23
Crime / Public Safety 19
Drug Control 2
Police Department 2
City Government 11
City Government 6
Money Handled Poorly 2
Taxes 2
Other city government 1
Growth / Land Use / Zoning 9
Gangs 3
City Image 1
Downtown Development 2
Overcrowding 1
Other 2
Economy 9
The Economy 2
Lack Of Businesses 2
Lack of Jobs 2
Cost of living is high 1
Housing Costs 2
Amenities 7
No Shopping / Restaurants 4
No Recreation/Activities 1
City Appearance / Clean Up 1
Other AMENITIES 1
Public Services 3
Schools Are Poor 2
Other PUBLIC SERVICES 1
Other 7
Climate/Flooding 1
Gambling, Casinos, Fireworks 1
Racism 1
Poverty / Homelessness 4
Nothing 13
Miscellaneous 5
Don't know 3
4
4
0
7
5
10
6
8
16
50
3
3
5
1
8
6
14
6
22
25
23
4
26
2
5
9
6
9
7
20
32
19
3
0
3
5
7
9
9
11
13
23
30
Don't Know
Non-Specific
Public Service
Other
Amenities
Economy
Growth/Land Use/Zoning
City Government
Nothing
Crime/Safety
Transportation/Traffic
2012
2011
2009
2008
City of Auburn 27
AUGUST 2012 .
Recreation & Cultural Opportunities, Jobs
Most Decreased Quality of Life Indicators
47
505446
37 4546
44
3035
3911
28
28
4134
13121516
46
464046
54 4644
45
48 48
4355
56
57
4957
52 615154
6
34
75
6
15
1232
14
98
21 131213
2
12
23
5
7
6 2
1
11
15142217
5
5
8
15
3
5
9
1
2012
2011
2009
2008
2012
2011
2009
2008
2012
2011
2009
2008
2012
2011
2009
2008
2012
2011
2009
2008
Na
t
u
r
e
Re
c
Tr
a
n
s
p
Cr
i
m
e
Jo
b
High (8-10)Moderate (4-7)Low (0-3)No Opinion
Question 6: I’d like you to rate the quality of life in Auburn in several key areas. For each area I
mention, please give a rating on the 0-10 scale, where 0 means “poor” and 10 means “excellent.”
Younger, newer residents less satisfied with recreation and cultural
opportunities:
Those living in Auburn less than a year considered these opportunities
"excellent" only 21% of the time (vs. 38% of all others).
Residents over 65 were notably more likely to say "excellent" than
others (42% v. 35% for those under 65).
Ratings of excellent for “Job and Economic Opportunities” shifted at the
bottom end:
Lower-income residents far more likely to rate as "poor" (34%) than
middle-income (14% of those making $50-$100k/year).
By neighborhood, Plateau residents more likely to rate job situation as
poor (31%) than others (20%).
Crime and
Safety
Recreation &
Cultural
Opportunities
Natural
Environment
Jobs &
Economic
Opportunities
Transportation
Mean
6.6 7.0 7.1 6.9
6.0 6.7 6.6 6.4
5.8
5.8
6.5
4.5
5.0
5.4
5.5
5.7
7.1
7.3
7.4
7.1
City of Auburn 28
AUGUST 2012 .
Auburn Still Considered a “Good Place for Families”
But Less Strongly Than In Previous Years
37
44
46
4446 1
52
44
43
9
9
7
3
1
2
2012
2011
2009
2008
Agree Strongly Agree No Opinion Disagree Disagree Strongly
Question 12.1: I am going to read a series of statements about life in Auburn. For each one, tell me
whether you Agree Strongly, Agree, Disagree or Disagree Strongly. The first one is… Auburn is a
good place for families?
Greatest differences were by income:
28% of those making under $50k agreed strongly, vs.
44% of those making $50k or more.
Agreement also stronger among men, couples
43% of men agreed strongly, vs. 32% of women
Couples agreed strongly 41% of the time, vs. 30% of those without a
partner
More "agree strongly" responses in some neighborhoods
47% in Lakeland, and
43% in Lea Hill; vs.
35% in South Auburn, and
35% in Plateau.
City of Auburn 29
AUGUST 2012 .
Nearly All Continue to Feel Safe in
Auburn, Neighborhood
37
43
43
27
31
37
53
52
45
16
12
5
3
4
43
41
41
13
10
9
13
6
7
3
2012
2011
2009
2012
2011
2009
NE
I
G
H
B
O
R
H
O
O
D
AU
B
U
R
N
`
Agree Strongly Agree No Opinion Disagree Disagree Strongly
Question 12.2 & 12.3: I am going to read a series of statements about life in Auburn. For each one,
tell me whether you Agree Strongly, Agree, Disagree or Disagree Strongly. The first second is… I feel
safe in my neighborhood? I feel safe in Auburn?
Most likely to “agree strongly” that they felt safe in the neighborhood
were Lakeland residents (54%). This compares with:
25% in the South,
34% in Lea Hill,
37% in the North, and
40% in Plateau and West.
Low-income residents feel least safe in neighborhoods:
31% of those making under $35k "agree strongly" that neighborhood is
safe, vs.
38% of all others.
Those without children feel Auburn is safer than those with:
29% of those with no children, vs.
23% of those who do have kids.
City of Auburn 30
AUGUST 2012 .
Downtown Visits Frequent, Steady
6
4
4
3
14
17
18
14
9
11
9
13
9
7
7
14
59
61
61
57
3
0
2
0
2008
2009
2011
2012
None 1-4 5-7 8-11 12+DK/NA
Question 28: How often have you visited Downtown Auburn in the last 12 months, for any reason?
Younger residents far less likely to visit regularly:
42% of those under 35 visited at least monthly, as opposed to
55% of those 35-44, and
60% of all others.
City of Auburn 31
AUGUST 2012 .
No Change in Attention Paid
to Auburn City Government
20
20
17
39
40
35
16
28
22
26
19
142012
2011
2009
A Lot of Attention Some DK/NA Not Very Much Almost No Attention
Question 7: Let’s talk about the City Government. First, in general, how much attention would you
say you pay to Auburn City government? Would you say you pay…?
Longtime residents pay far more attention:
27% of those with over 20 years of residence said "a lot," vs. 18% of all
others;
39% of those with less than a year said "almost none," vs. only 9% of
those here for 20 or more years.
Under age 35 more often paid “almost no attention”:
31% of the youngest age group said “almost no attention,” vs.
12% of those older.
City of Auburn 32
AUGUST 2012 .
4 in 10 Now Think Government
Focuses on Wrong Things
35
37
36
24
34
32
41
29
32
2012
2011
2009
Right things DKNA Wrong things
Question 8: In your opinion, is the Auburn City government focused on the right things? Or does it
spend too much time on things it should not be doing? Question 8.1/8.2: What would you say is an
example of that (Wrong things/Right things)?
Wrong Things
Road/sidewalk maintenance 13
Downtown Revitalization 12
Inefficient Govt 11
Govt Spending Wasteful 9
Narrow Streets/Roads 8
Other 7
Economic Dev/Lack of Business 7
Transportation/Traffic 7
Jobs 4
Crime/Public Safety 6
Construction/Torn Down Buildings 4
More Focus on School Kids 4
High Taxes 3
Police Department 2
Lack of Dev Planning 2
Keep Up The Parks 2
Parking 2
Too Much Development 1
No Answer 10
Right Things
Roads/Streets Improvement 23
Downtown Revitalization 16
Parks & Recreation 13
Other 11
Low Crime Rate/Public Safety 9
Economic Dev/Attracting Busin 7
Police/Fire/EMS 6
Education/Schools/Kids 5
Govt / Mayor Did Good Job 4
Good Communication 4
Beautification 3
Better Govt Spending 3
Traffic Issues Solved 2
Community Involvement 2
Keeping Up With Growth 2
No Answer 9
City of Auburn 33
AUGUST 2012 .
City Government Performance Ratings
Remain Positive
16
20
19
10
11
13
10
14
11
42
43
54
51
55
52
50
53
11
14
16
9
12
14
11
13
14
20
15
14
19
18
14
21
15
16
6
8
7
8
7
4
6
8
6
482012
2011
2009
2012
2011
2009
2012
2011
2009
AC
C
O
U
N
T
A
B
L
E
EF
F
E
C
T
I
V
E
EF
F
I
C
I
E
N
T
Very Somewhat/Mostly No Opinion Not Very Not at All
Question 9: Three ways that people often measure how well an organization is running are
effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability. Effectiveness means accomplishing what you are
supposed to accomplish. Thinking about the City of Auburn, how effective would you say city
government is? Compared to other cities or other levels of government, do you think that the City of
Auburn is…Very Effective, Mostly Effective, Mostly Ineffective, Very Ineffective?
Q10: How efficient would you say the City of Auburn government is? That is, does it deliver valuable
services at reasonable cost? Compared to other cities or other levels of government, do you think that
the City of Auburn is…Very Efficient, Mostly Efficient, Mostly Inefficient, Very Inefficient?
Q11: How accountable would you say the City of Auburn government is? That is, does it answer to the
public for its action? Compared to other cities or other levels of government, do you think that the City
of Auburn is… Very Accountable, Somewhat Accountable, Not Very Accountable, Not at all
Accountable?
Younger and male residents rate government more highly:
21% of men said city government "very" accountable, vs. 11% of women
18% of those under 45 said city government "very" or "somewhat"
ineffective, vs. 30% of those over 45
City of Auburn 34
AUGUST 2012 .
Satisfaction with City Taxes Retreats to 2008 Levels
After Slight Improvement
25
30
30
25
48
47
46
48
18
15
17
19
9
8
7
8
2012
2011
2009
2008
Highly Satisfied (8-10)Moderately (4-7)Not Satis (0-3)No Opinion
Question 21: The average house in Auburn is assessed at $300,000. The owner of that average
house would pay $3,700 in total property taxes, of which the City would receive around $434 per
year. Thinking about your situation and the value of all the City services that Auburn provides how
satisfied are you with the level of city taxes? Use the same scale where 10 is “highly satisfied” and 0
is “not at all satisfied?
Satisfaction differs by income:
33% of those making over $100k were "highly" satisfied (vs. 23% of all
others), but
26% of those making between $50-75k had a low level of satisfaction (vs.
16% of all others)
Property owners had markedly higher satisfaction:
30% said they were "highly" satisfied with taxes, vs.
17% of those who rent.
City of Auburn 35
AUGUST 2012 .
Fewer than Half Think
Tax Revenue Well Spent
49
59
59
12
11
15
39
30
26
2012
2011
2009
Well Spent DK/NA Not Well Spent
Question 36: Thinking now about all the things we have talked about, as a citizen of Auburn, do you
think that your tax dollars are being well spent here? Or not?
High support among young (62% of under-35s think tax money well spent)
Most likely to reply that taxes are not well spent:
High-income (50% of those making over $100k, vs. 37% of others)
Long-term residents (48% of those living in Auburn over 20 years, vs.
36% of others)
Plateau (53%) and West (46%) residents
City of Auburn 36
AUGUST 2012 .
Bare Majority for Keeping Citizens Informed;
Decreased Positives for Keeping Them Involved
12
16
10
7
12
9
38
41
45
33
34
37
4
8
7
11
12
13
33
28
29
35
29
29
12
8
10
14
13
11
CITIZENS INFORMED
2012
2011
2009
INVOLVED CITIZENS
2012
2011
2009
Excellent Good No Opinion Only Fair Poor
Question 25: In terms of keeping citizens informed about what is happening in city government --
How good a job do you think the City of Auburn does at that? Would you say…?
Question 27: How would you rate the city’s performance in providing residents the opportunity to be
involved in decisions that affect city government? How good a job do you think the City of Auburn
does at that? Would you say…
Respondents were consistent across questions:
66% assessed both qualities either positively (31%) or negatively (35%)
14% said the city kept residents "informed" well but "involved" poorly
7% said the city was good at involving citizens, but bad at keeping
them informed
Most consistently negative were middle-aged, high-income, long-term
residents
42% of those 45-64, vs. 32% of those under 45
46% of those making over $100k, vs. 34% of others
41% of those who lived in Auburn 20 years or more, vs. 32% of others
City of Auburn 37
AUGUST 2012 .
Slightly Fewer Contacted City
31
33
34
69
67
65
2012
2011
2009
Yes DK/NA No
Question 17: During the past 12 months, have you contacted any City Official or City Department to
seek service or information, or to make a compliment or complaint?
Higher-income residents more likely to have contact:
25% of those making less than $50k had contact, vs.
39% of those making over $100k.
More time in Auburn resulted in less contact:
76% of 0-5 year residents had no contact, vs.
71% of 6-10 year residents, and
66% of those who lived in Auburn more than 10 years.
City of Auburn 38
AUGUST 2012 .
In-Person Contact With City Drops Sharply
27
40
36
57
46
54
13
11
8 1
2012
2011
2009
In Person By Telephone Via Internet Other DK/NA
Question 18: The last time you contacted a city official, was your most recent contact…
Question 19: What department did you contact?
ASKED OF RESPONDENTS WHO SAID “YES” IN Q17, N=155
Police Department
Utilities / Water Dept.
Mayor’s Office
Parks & Recreation
Planning
City Council
Department of Sanitation
Administrative Services
Road Department
Permit Department
City Hall
Fire Department
Justice System/Courts
Other
Don’t Know
30
17
12
8
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
1
6
3
City of Auburn 39
AUGUST 2012 .
Decreased Satisfaction with City Contacts
62
75
66
23
30
362012
2011
2009
Satisfied DK/NA Dissatisfied
Question 20: Were you generally satisfied or dissatisfied with the response you got? ASKED OF
RESPONDENTS WHO SAID “YES” IN Q19, N=165.
The number of contacts per department was usually too low to report out
“satisfaction percentages” for all departments.
City of Auburn 40
AUGUST 2012 .
Decreased Use of City E-mail List
22
29
18 11
74
71
71
3
2
2012
2011
2009
Yes No DKNA
Question 26 Are you on a city sponsored email list of updates?
Respondents with incomes of $50,000+ were most likely to be on a city-
sponsored email list:
29% were, compared to
16% with incomes under $50,000.
Men, homeowners, and longtime residents also more likely
26% of men were (vs. 19% of women)
26% of homeowners were (vs. 16% of renters)
25% of those who had lived in Auburn 6 or more years were (vs. 10% of
0-5 year residents)
City of Auburn 41
AUGUST 2012 .
Increased Service Usage In General,
Especially for Police
3
5
5
9
6
12
9
18
26
38
6
7
8
10
9
14
15
25
32
53
4
5
6
7
8
7
8
17
32
54
4
5
7
8
9
9
11
25
32
58
Other
Administrative Services
Planning and Community
Development
Mayor's Office
Permit Center
Public Works Office
Finance Utilities
Police Services and Patrols
Utility Billing
Parks and Recreation
2012
2011
2009
2008
Question 13: Which of the following City departments, – if any have you used in the last 12 months?
Greater Parks & Recreation usage among certain groups:
72% of 18-34 year olds (v. 44% of 65+)
69% of those making over $75k (v. 56% of those making under $35k)
69% of couples with children (v. 52% of non-couples, with or without
children)
66% of South residents and 64% of those in Lakeland (v. 49% in North
Auburn and 56% in Lea Hill)
City of Auburn 42
AUGUST 2012 .
More See Police Services As Highly Important,
Fewer See Most Other Services
27
41
36
46
51
55
61
54
63
62
72
78
25
44
47
52
53
51
65
58
59
59
62
73
24
37
42
47
50
52
57
58
63
65
67
82
Permit Center Staff and
Process
Sidewalk and Street
Landscaping
Access to Public
Transportation
Community Events
Produced by City
Availability of Parking
Condition of Sidewalks
Parks & Recreation Services
& Programs
Availability of High Speed
Internet Access
Condition of Streets
Street Maintenance
Reliability and Cost of Water
Service
Police Services
2012
2011
2009
Question 14: Next I am going to read a list of services and facilities here in Auburn. As I read each
one, tell my how important that is to you and your household. We will use a scale of zero to ten,
where zero means it is Not something that is important to you and 10 means it is Very Important to
you or your household. The first one is…?
Residents most likely to term each “important” (8-10) included:
Public Transportation -- single parents (62%)
Condition of Streets – residents of West (75%) and Lakeland (72%)
Condition of Sidewalks –ages 18-34 (63%), South residents (61%)
Availability of parking – families making $75-99k (59%)
Street Maintenance – ages 18-44 (74%), West residents (75%)
Sidewalk and Street Landscaping – 18-34 year olds (56%)
High-speed Internet Access – Lakeland residents (71%), those under
45 (69%), those making over $100k (69%)
Police Services - West residents (88%), 35-44 year olds (92%)
Reliability/Cost of Water – $75-99k earners (80%)
Parks and Recreation Services/Programs – parents (62%), Lakeland
(68%) & Plateau (65%) residents, those under 45 (65%)
Rating High (8-10)
Scale 0-10
Mean
8.7
7.9
7.9
7.7
7.1
7.4
7.1
6.9
6.6
6.1
6.3
4.8
City of Auburn 43
AUGUST 2012 .
“Low Importance” Ratings
4
6
8
5
7
8
10
13
16
11
30
20
4
9
8
7
6
8
10
11
11
10
15
22
3
5
6
8
9
10
11
15
16
16
22
29
Police Services
Street Maintenance
Condition of Streets
Reliability and Cost of Water
Service
Parks & Recreation
Services & Programs
Condition of Sidewalks
Availability of Parking
Community Events
Produced by City
Availability of High Speed
Internet Access
Sidewalk and Street
Landscaping
Access to Public
Transportation
Permit Center Staff and
Process
2012
2011
2009
Question 14: Next I am going to read a list of services and facilities here in Auburn. As I read each
one, tell my how important that is to you and your household. We will use a scale of zero to ten,
where zero means it is Not something that is important to you and 10 means it is Very Important to
you or your household. The first one is…?
More likely to term rate services as “low” importance (0-3) were:
High-speed Internet Access – single people (22%), 20+ year residents
(23%)
Condition of Sidewalks– 45-64 year olds (14%)
The Condition of Streets – those making less than $35k (13%)
Access to Public Transportation – those over 65 (32%)
Parks and Recreation – those over 65 (16%)
Rating Low (0-3)
Scale 0-10
4.8
6.1
6.3
7.1
6.6
6.9
7.1
7.4
7.9
7.7
7.9
8.7
Mean
City of Auburn 44
AUGUST 2012 .
Police Services, Community Events Graded Highly
31
29
29
27
15
19
13
10
8
10
5
8
28
39
34
36
36
32
36
15
28
18
20
18
18
27
26
33
36
38
38
17
38
7
9
12
13
9
8
18
4
3
3
5
3
8
5
5
8
3
7
4
17
10
9
4
3
2
0
40
40
43
4
3
4
6
9
1
Police Services
Community Events Produced by City
Parks & Recreation Services & Programs
Availability of High Speed Internet Access
Reliability and Cost of Water Service
Access to Public Transportation
Availability of Parking
Condition of Sidewalks
Street Maintenance
Sidewalk and Street Landscaping
Permit Center Staff and Process
Condition of Streets
A B C D F No Opinion
Question 16: I am going to read through that list again, this time; I would like you to tell me how well
you think the city is doing in that area. As I read each service, I’d like you to give it a letter grade, like
they give in school. A for Excellent, B for Good, C for Satisfactory, D for Unsatisfactory, F for Failing.
There were the most “A’s” for access to public transportation from
Plateau residents (23%) and those under 35 (25%).
Fewest” A’s” for High-Speed Internet Access from those making less than
$35k (16%), most from those making $35-50k (37%)
Police services receive most "A's" from new (<1 year) residents (52%)
The most Parking “A’s” came from Lea Hill (31%) and the fewest from
West (13%).
Younger residents (18-34 year olds) give most "A's" to Parks & Rec (36%),
Community Events (41%)
Parks & Recreational Services grades varied by neighborhood:
37% gave it an "A" in South and 39% in Lakeland, vs.
22% in Lea Hill and 21% in Plateau.
Mean
2.9
3.0
3.0
2.8
2.6
2.6
2.4
2.4
2.2
2.4
2.2
2.1
City of Auburn 45
AUGUST 2012 .
Taxes OK For Police, Jobs, Roads;
Willingness To Cut Parks
26
23
23
13
11
4
33
21
19
11
10
4
Police
Job Creation
Roads
Parks & Rec
None
No Opinion
2012
2011
Question 23: If there needed to be a property tax increase to maintain the current level of service in
the following areas, which one of the following city services would you be most likely to support?
4
23
10
26
28
10
7
8
5
11
16
7
Police
Job Creation
Roads
Parks & Rec
None
No Opinion
2012
2011
Question 24: If you could reduce your property taxes by cutting back service in one of the following
areas, which one of the following services would you be most likely to cut back?
City of Auburn 46
AUGUST 2012 .
Support for Street Repairs Recedes
27
30
27
23
27
28
28
34
38
37
39
33
7
6
6
10
2012
2011
2009
2008
Highly Likely (8-10)Moderately (4-7)Not Likely (0-3)No Opinion
Question 22: How likely would you be to approve paying up to an extra $10 a month, or $120 a year,
in property taxes to repair major arterial streets including Auburn Way, A Street, M Street, I Street,
and others? Use a 0-10 scale, where 10 is “highly likely” and 0 is “not at all likely?
Most likely to give be “highly likely” to support were:
Those aged 35-44 (39%, vs. 21% of those under 35)
People making over $100k (41%, compared to 23% for those making
less than $35k)
Plateau residents (38%)
Couples without children and single parents most likely to express low
levels of support:
46% did, vs.
32% of all others.
City of Auburn 47
AUGUST 2012 .
Public Transportation, Sidewalks Lowest Priorities;
Maintenance & Arterials Highest
-9
-22
-14
-26
-9
-12
-8
4
11
14
11
20
22
19
6
6
7
14
14
20
33
No Opin
Sidewalks
Intersections
Public trans
Streets
Arterials
General maintenance
Lowest Second Top
Question 30: Let’s talk about transportation issues in Auburn. Which of the following should be the
Top Priority for transportation in Auburn?
:What would you say is the Next Highest priority?
And which of these is the Lowest Priority, in your opinion?
Most likely to pick public transportation as highest priority:
Senior citizens (20% of those over 65)
Low-income households (22% of those making less than $35k)
Single people (20% vs. 11% of couples)
These groups were also most likely to pick maintenance as lowest
priority.
City of Auburn 48
AUGUST 2012 .
Personal Benefit Strongest Argument
For Transportation Improvements
Question 31: I am going to read you some statements about transportation in Auburn. As I read each
one, tell me whether you Agree Strongly, Agree, Disagree or Disagree Strongly with each statement.
The first one is?
Better roads and sidewalks make for safer neighborhoods and community
Reduced traffic congestion saves everyone time and hassle
Smooth roads and fewer potholes saves wear and tear on vehicles
It saves money in the long run to fix roads before they fail
Roads projects create immediate jobs in the construction industry
Better roads will help attract businesses and jobs to Auburn
Arguments stressing the personal benefit of transportation
improvements (reducing wear on vehicles, saving time) received the
strongest agreement.
Arguments emphasizing community benefits received the weakest
agreement.
All arguments were agreed with by at least 8 in 10.
City of Auburn 49
AUGUST 2012 .
Cost More Important Than Plans
For Transportation Projects
47
36
33
30
26
8
Cost
Cost-benefit
analysis
Maps
Schedule
Selection
DKNA
Question 32 What types of information would be most useful to you in deciding whether to support a
specific transportation project?
Information on how much the projects will cost
A cost-benefit analysis on street improvements
Maps of where the project will occur
Information on the schedule of the projects to be completed
Information about how the project was selected
Particularly interested in cost were:
Lakeland residents (54%)
Middle-aged (52% of those 45-54)
Middle-income earners (53% of those making $50-75k)
City of Auburn 50
AUGUST 2012 .
Reporter Most Common Source of Information
About Transportation Projects
55
31
18
14
9
5
8
Auburn Reporter
Friends and
family
Mayor, city
council
Community orgs
Chamber of
Commerce
Labor unions
DKNA
Question 33: When it comes to transportation projects in Auburn, which of the following
organizations or sources of information are you most likely to rely on for accurate and reliable
information?
The Auburn Reporter
Friends and family
The mayor and city council
Community organizations like service clubs, the PTA and so on
The Auburn Chamber of Commerce
Local labor unions
Most turn to paper, but some use other sources highly as well:
Those making over $100k rely on mayor and city council (32%), friends
and family (41%)
Under-35s use community orgs (23%), friends & family (39%)
New residents (less than a year) rely on friends and family (53%) more
than paper (40%)
Most rely on only one information source:
65% used one source
18% rely on two
9% rely on more than two
City of Auburn 51
AUGUST 2012 .
Respondents Reluctant to Discuss Ballot Measure
47
21
32
Support
Oppose
Won't say
Question 34: Last April, there was a ballot measure to fund transportation improvements in the City
of Auburn. Did you support or oppose that measure?
City of Auburn 52
AUGUST 2012 .
Reasons for Failure
46
26
25
12
11
4
13
Economy
Too expensive
Not enough info
Focused on major
roads
Other priorities
Other
DKNA
Question 35 As you know, that transportation measure failed to pass. In your opinion, which of the
following reasons contributed to the measure not passing?
The economy is just too bad right now to raise taxes
The proposal was too expensive
People did not get enough information about the proposal
Too focused on major roads – not enough on local streets
There are other things that need money ahead of roads and streets
Those who opposed levy more likely than supporters to say:
"Expensive" (38%, vs. 24% of supporters)
"Focus on arterials" (18%, vs. 13% of supporters)
Those who opposed levy less likely to say:
"Economy" (43%, vs. 53% of supporters)
"Not enough info" (17%, vs. 28% of supporters)
APPENDIX
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
Auburn 2012 Topline.doc 1 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
TOPLINE DATA
This summary presents response frequency distributions for the survey of Auburn residents on behalf of the
City of Auburn.
Telephone interviews were completed with 500 Auburn heads of household between August 6-12, 2012. The
overall margin of sampling error is ±4.5%. That means, in theory, there is a 95% probability that the results of
this survey are within ±4.5% of the results that would have been obtained by interviewing all Auburn heads of
household.
The data are presented here in the same order the questions were asked in the interview.
The figures in bold type are percentages of respondents who gave each answer.
The data have been statistically weighted to bring the proportions of renters into closer approximation of
their proportion of the population.
Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
NEIGHBORHOOD: AUBURN NORTH…28 DOWNTOWN…3
AUBURN SOUTH..21 LAKELAND…13
AUBURN SOUTH EAST..1 LEA HILL…19
WEST HILL …7 PLATEAU…8
SEX: MALE...48 FEMALE...52
1. Do you live within City limits of Auburn? Yes – 100
2. How long have you lived in the City of Auburn?
0-1 years…5
2-5 years... 15
6-10 years...22
11 to 20 years...27
More than 20 years...31
3. Overall, how would you rate the quality of life in Auburn? Please give a rating
on a scale of zero to 10, where 10 means you think the city has an “excellent”
quality of life, a “0” means it has a “poor” quality of life. A rating of 5 is in the
middle.
POOR = 2…0…1…2…4…19…9…20…24…7…10 = EXCELLENT [ 1 = DK/NA]
4. What do you like most about living in Auburn?
[SEE BELOW]
5. What would you say are some problems or issues that concern you about living
in Auburn?
[SEE BELOW]
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
2 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
6. I’d like you to rate the quality of life in Auburn in several key areas. For each
area I mention, please give a rating on the 0-10 scale, where 0 means “poor”
and 10 means “excellent.”
ROTATE <POOR _ __________ EXCELLENT> DK
1. Crime and Safety.......................4 .....2 ....4 ...5....9 ...22 ...11 ...14 ...16 ...8....5 1
2. Recreational & Cultural Opps...3 .....0 ....1 ...3....4 ...17 ...14 ...19 ...20 ...9....7 2
3. The Natural Environment.........1 .....0 ....2 ...2....2 ...13 ....8 ....22 ...23 ..12..11 2
4. Job & Economic Opps...............7 .....2 ....4 ...8....9 ...23 ....8 ....13 ....8 ....1....4 15
5. Transportation...........................4 .....1 ....3 ...6....6 ...22 ....7 ....13 ...16 ...7....7 7
7. Let’s talk about the City Government. First, in general, how much attention
would you say you pay to Auburn City government? Would you say you
pay…?
A Lot of Attention…20
Some…39
Not Very Much…26
Almost No Attention …14
DK/NA…0
8. In your opinion, is the Auburn City government focused on the right things?
Or does it spend too much time on things it should not be doing?
RIGHT THINGS…35
TOO MUCH TIME ON WRONG THINGS…41
DK/NA…24
8.1 IF WRONG THINGS: What would you say is an example of the city focusing on the
wrong things?
[SEE BELOW]
8.2 IF RIGHT THINGS: What would you say is an example of the city focusing on the
right things?
[SEE BELOW]
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
3 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
9. Three ways that people often measure how well an organization is running are
effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability. Effectiveness means
accomplishing what you are supposed to accomplish. Thinking about the City
of Auburn, how effective would you say city government is? Compared to other
cities or other levels of government, do you think that the City of Auburn is?
Very Effective…10
Mostly Effective…54
Mostly Ineffective…19
Very Ineffective…8
DK/NA…9
10. How efficient would you say the City of Auburn government is? That is, does it
deliver valuable services at reasonable cost? Compared to other cities or other
levels of government, do you think that the City of Auburn is…?
Very Efficient…10
Mostly Efficient…52
Mostly Inefficient…21
Very Inefficient…6
DK/NA…11
11. How accountable would you say the City of Auburn government is? That is,
does it answer to the public for its action? Compared to other cities or other
levels of government, do you think that the City of Auburn is…?
Very Accountable…16
Somewhat Accountable…48
Not Very Accountable…20
Not At All Accountable…6
DK/NA.…11
12. I am going to read a series of statements about life in Auburn. For each one,
tell me whether you Agree Strongly, Agree, Disagree or Disagree Strongly.
The first one is…
STRONGLY STRONGLY
AGREE AGREE DISAG DISAG NA
1. Auburn in a good place for families......37 ........52............9................1............1
2. I feel safe in my neighborhood..............37 ........43...........13...............6............1
3. I feel safe in Auburn..............................27 ........53...........16...............3............1
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
4 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
13. Which of the following City departments, – if any have you used in the last 12
months?
READ: CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY
Parks, Arts & Recreation (including community centers)…58
Utility billing (such as to discuss a water or sewer bill)…32
Police services and patrols…25
Finance Utilities…11
Public Works office…9
Permit Center…9
Mayor’s Office…8
Planning and Community Development…7
Administrative services (such as legal services, finance, human resources or other)…5
________________________________________________< Other…4
[DK/NA]…12
14. Next I am going to read a list of services and facilities here in Auburn. As I
read each one, tell my how important that is to you and your household. We
will use a scale of zero to ten, where zero means it is Not something that is
important to you and 10 means it is Very Important to you or your household.
The first one is…
ROTATE <NOT __________ VERY> DK
1. Access to public trans............11....3 ....5 ....3.....3 ...16...6....10 ..14 ...8.....19 2
2. Condition of streets ................2.....1 ....2 ....2.....3 ...10...6....13 ..19 ..13....32 0
3. Condition of sidewalks............3.....1 ....4 ....2.....3...12...8....15 ..22 ..11....20 1
4. Availability of parking..............5.....1 ....2 ....2.....3 ...12...9....13 ..20 ..11....19 2
5. Street maintenance................1.....1....1 ....2.....2 ....8....7....14 ..20 ..12....32 0
6. Sidewalk, street landscaping..6.....1 ....4 ....5.....4 ...17..11...14 ..17 ...5.....15 1
7. High speed internet access...11....2 ....1 ....2.....2 ....9....4.....9 ...15 ..10....33 4
8. Police services........................2.....0 ....1 ....1.....1 ....4....4.....5 ...13 ..15....54 1
9. Water service..........................4.....0 ....2 ....2.....2 ....7....4.....7 ...15 ..12....39 4
10.Parks & Recreation ..................5.....1 ....2 ...2.....2 ....9....6....16 ..18 ..14....26 1
11.Permit center.........................18....2 ....6 ....3.....3 ...14...5.....5 ...10 ...6......8 19
12.Community events..................6.....3 ....3 ...3.....5 ...15...6....12 ..19 ...9.....19 1
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
5 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
15. Is there a service or program that the city does not currently provide, that you
believe should be provided. One that you would be willing to pay taxes to
support? [What is that service or program?]
[SEE BELOW]
16. I am going to read through that list again, this time; I would like you to tell
me how well you think the city is doing in that area. As I read each service, I’d
like you to give it a letter grade, like they give in school. A for Excellent, B for
Good, C for Satisfactory, D for Unsatisfactory, F for Failing.
ROTATE F D C B A DK
1. Access to public transportation.........................3 .......9.......26 ......34 ......19 9
2. Condition of streets ..........................................8 ......18......38 ......28 .......8 0
3. Condition of sidewalks.....................................3 ......12......36 ......36 ......10 3
4. Availability of parking........................................5 .......9.......33 ......36 ......13 4
5. Street maintenance..........................................8 ......13......38 ......32 .......8 1
6. Sidewalk and street landscaping......................5 .......9.......38 ......36 ......10 2
7. Availability of high speed internet access.........4 .......6.......18 ......28 ......27 17
8. Police services..................................................4 .......4.......18 ......40 ......31 3
9. Reliability and cost of water service..................3 .......7.......27 ......39 ......15 10
10.Parks & Recreational services & programs......1 .......4.......18 ......43 ......29 4
11.The City’s permit center staff and process
of getting a permit.............................................5 .......8.......17 ......15 .......5 50
12.Community events produced by the City, such
as the Veterans Day parade, Shades of Summer,
BRAVO performances, 4th of July and
Clean Sweep....................................................2 .......3.......20 ......40 ......29 7
17. During the past 12 months, have you contacted any City Official or City
Department to seek service or information, or to make a compliment or
complaint?
YES…31 NO…69
NA…0
18. [IF YES] The last time you contacted a city official, was your most recent
contact…
In Person…27
By Telephone…57
Via The Internet…13
By Some Other Means…1
[DK/NA]…2
19. What department did you contact? [see below]
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
6 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
20. Were you generally satisfied or dissatisfied with the response you got?
SATISFIED…62 DISSATISFIED…36
[DK/NA]…2
21. The average house in Auburn is assessed at $300,000. The owner of that
average house would pay $3,700 in total property taxes, of which the City
would receive around $434 per year. Thinking about your situation and the
value of all the City services that Auburn provides how satisfied are you with
the level of city taxes? Use the same scale where 10 is “highly satisfied” and 0
is “not at all satisfied.”
NOT AT ALL = 11…1…2…4…6…20…8…14…13…4…8 = HIGHLY [DK/NA = 9]
22. How likely would you be to approve paying up to an extra $10 a month, or
$120 a year, in property taxes to repair major arterial streets including
Auburn Way, A Street, M Street, I Street, and others? Use a 0-10 scale, where
10 is “highly likely” and 0 is “not at all likely”?
NOT AT ALL = 27…3…5…4…2…13…4…9…7…3…17= HIGHLY [DK/NA = 7]
23. If there needed to be a property tax increase to maintain the current level of
service in the following areas, which one of the following city services would
you be most likely to support?
Parks and Recreation…13
Police…26
Roads…23
Attracting New Businesses…23
NONE…11
DK/NA…4
24. If you could reduce your property taxes by cutting back service in one of the
following areas, which one of the following services would you be most likely to
cut back?
Parks and Recreation…26
Police…4
Roads…10
Attracting New Businesses…23
NONE…28
DK/NA…10
25. In terms of keeping citizens informed about what is happening in city
government -- How good a job do you think the City of Auburn does at that?
Would you say…?
Excellent…12 Good…38
Only Fair…33 Poor…12
DK/NA…4
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
7 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
26. Are you on a city sponsored email list of updates? YES…22 NO…74
DK/NA…3
27. How would you rate the city’s performance in providing residents the
opportunity to be involved in decisions that affect city government? How good
a job do you think the City of Auburn does at that? Would you say…?
Excellent…7
Good…33
Only Fair…35
Poor…14
DK/NA…11
28. How often have you visited Downtown Auburn in the last 12 months, for any
reason?
TIMES 0
3
1
2
2
5
3
3
4
4
5
6
6
4
7
2
8
3
9
2
10
8
11
1
12+
57
DK/NA
0
29. [IF 0, ASK:] What are the main reasons why you haven’t been downtown?
[SEE BELOW]
30. Let’s talk about transportation issues in Auburn. Which of the following
should be the Top Priority for transportation in Auburn?
33 General maintenance of existing streets and sidewalks
20 Improving arterials and major roads
14 Improving streets in neighborhoods
14 Expanding public transportation
7 Improving intersections
6 Installing and repairing sidewalks
6 DKNA
30.1 What would you say is the Next Highest priority?
22 Improving arterials and major roads
20 Improving streets in neighborhoods
19 General maintenance of existing streets and sidewalks
14 Improving intersections
11 Installing and repairing sidewalks
11 Expanding public transportation
4 DKNA
30.2 And which of these is the Lowest Priority, in your opinion?
26 Expanding public transportation
22 Installing and repairing sidewalks
14 Improving intersections
12 Improving arterials and major roads
9 Improving streets in neighborhoods
8 General maintenance of existing streets and sidewalks
9 DKNA
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
8 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
31. I am going to read you some statements about transportation in Auburn. As I
read each one, tell me whether you Agree Strongly, Agree, Disagree or
Disagree Strongly with each statement. The first one is…
STRONGLY STRONGLY AGREE AGREE DISAG DISAG NA
1. Better roads and sidewalks make for safer
neighborhoods and community..................................43......45 .......8 ........1.......3
2. Reduced traffic congestion saves everyone time and
hassle........................................................................54......40 .......4 ........0.......2
3. Smooth roads and fewer potholes saves wear and
tear on vehicles.........................................................61......35 .......2 ........1.......2
4. It saves money in the long run to fix roads
before they fail...........................................................51......43 .......3 ........0.......3
5. Roads projects create immediate jobs in the
construction industry.................................................40......49 .......6 ........2.......4
6. Better roads will help attract businesses and jobs to
Auburn......................................................................33......49 ......13 .......2.......3
32. What types of information would be most useful to you in deciding whether to
support a specific transportation project?
47 Information on how much the projects will cost
36 A cost-benefit analysis on street improvements
33 Maps of where the project will occur
30 Information on the schedule of the projects to be completed
26 Information about how the project was selected
8 DKNA
33. When it comes to transportation projects in Auburn, which of the following
organizations or sources of information are you most likely to rely on for
accurate and reliable information?
55 The Auburn Reporter
31 Friends and family
18 The mayor and city council
14 Community organizations like service clubs, the PTA and so on
9 The Auburn Chamber of Commerce
5 Local labor unions
8 DKNA
34. Last April, there was a ballot measure to fund transportation improvements
in the City of Auburn. Did you support or oppose that measure?
SUPPORT…47
OPPOSE…21
WON’T SAY…32
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
9 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
35. As you know, that transportation measure failed to pass. In your opinion,
which of the following reasons contributed to the measure not passing?
46 The economy is just too bad right now to raise taxes
26 The proposal was too expensive
25 People did not get enough information about the proposal
12 Too focused on major roads – not enough on local streets
11 There are other things that need money ahead of roads and streets
4 OTHER
13 DKNA
36. Thinking now about all the things we have talked about, as a citizen of
Auburn, do you think that your tax dollars are being well spent here? Or not?
WELL SPENT…49 NOT…39
DK/NA…12
37. I have just a few last questions for our statistical
analysis. How old are you?
18-34...12
35-44...11
45-54…24
55-64...22
65+...28
NA...3
38. Which of the following best
describes your household:
Couple with children at home...29
Couple with no children at home...33
Single with children at home...10
Single with no children at home...25
NA...3
39. Do you own or rent the place in which
you live?
OWN….62 RENT…..36 DK/NA…2
40. Finally, I am going to list some
broad categories. Just stop me when
I get to the category that best
describes your approximate
household income - before taxes -
for this year.
ROTATE TOP/BOTTOM
$35,000 or less...21
Over $35,000 to $50,000...16
Over $50,000 to $74,000...20
$75,000 to $99,000…11
Over $100,000...12
NA...20
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
10 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
RESPONSES TO OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
4. What do you like most about living in Auburn?
31 Atmosphere
17 Location
10 Sense Of Community
9 Born Here / Family Here
8 Amenities / Things to do
6 Economy
6 Physical Environment
5 Public Services
5 Size
2 Transportation / Traffic
1 City government
3 Non-Specific
9 Other
4 DK/NA
5. What would you say are some problems or issues that concern you about
living in Auburn?
30 Traffic, Transportation
23 Crime, Safety
11 City Government
9 Economy
9 Growth, Land Use, Zoning
7 Lack of Amenities
3 Public Services
25 Other
3 DKNA
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
11 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
8.1 IF WRONG THINGS: What would you say is an example of the city focusing
on the wrong things?
13 Road/street/sidewalk maintenance
12 Downtown Revitalization
11 Inefficient Government
9 Government Spending / Wasteful Spending
8 Narrow Streets / Roads
7 Transportation / Traffic / Traffic Control
7 Economic Development / Lack of Business
6 Crime / Public Safety
4 Jobs
4 Construction / Torn Down Buildings
4 More Focus on School / Kids
3 High Taxes
2 Police Department
2 Parking
2 Lack of Development Planning
2 Keep Up The Parks
1 Too Much Development
1 Casino Issues
7 Other
10 DK/NA/REFUSED
8.2 IF RIGHT THINGS: What would you say is an example of the city focusing
on the right things?
23 Roads/ Streets Improvement
16 Downtown Revitalization
13 Parks & Recreation
9 Low Crime Rate / Public Safety
7 Economic Development / Attracting Businesses
6 Police/Fire/Emergency Services
5 Education / Schools / Kids
4 Good Communication
4 Government / Mayor Did Good Job
3 Better Government Spending
3 Beautification
2 Traffic Issues Solved
2 Community Involvement
2 Keeping Up With Growth
1 Elderly / Senior Issues
3 General positive
8 Other
9 DK/NA/refused
City of Auburn Citizen Survey JULY 2012
12 of 12 ELWAY RESEARCH, INC.
15. Is there a service or program that the city does not currently provide, that
you believe should be provided. One that you would be willing to pay taxes
to support?
3 Public transportation/bus service/light rail
2 More/better education
2 Resources for the homeless
1 Youth activities
1 More police/fire/emergency services
1 Jobs/job resources
1 More parks & recreation activities
1 Traffic congestion
1 Road/street maintenance
1 Social services
1 Senior programs/services
65 No/none/nothing
5 Other
13 DK/NA/refused
19. What department did you contact?
30 Police Department
17 Utilities / Water Dept. / Public Works
12 Mayor’s Office
8 Parks & Recreation
5 Planning
4 City Council
4 Department of Sanitation
3 Administrative Services
3 Road Department
2 Permit Department
2 City Hall
2 Fire Department
1 Justice System / Courts
6 Other
3 DK/NA/refused
29. [IF 0, ASK:] What are the main reasons why you haven’t been downtown?
69 No Need / Not Interested / Nothing To Do There
15 Housebound / Don’t Go Out Much / Disabled
5 Safety
5 Parking Is Terrible
5 Age