• Area residents continue to rate their overall quality of life in Springfield very positively--over 90% of those surveyed in the past five years have judged quality of life in Springfield to be either "good" or "very good."

• Other dimensions of quality of life--including Springfield as a place to raise children and overall quality of neighborhoods--also continue to receive extremely favorable ratings. Over 80% of area residents in the past five years have evaluated these two factors as either "very good" or "good," while less than 5% have expressed negative opinions.

• Ratings regarding Springfield as a place to work have remained consistent over the past five years with 66% to 68% of area residents reporting positive evaluations on this quality of life factor.

• Since 1998 (first year this question was asked), just over 70% of area residents have rated Springfield’s overall appearance and attractiveness as either "good" or "very good."

• Affordability of housing continues to be the lowest rated quality of life factor tested and the only one whose positive ratings have declined over the past three years (55% positive rating in 2000, a six percentage point decline since 1998--the first year in which this question was asked).

• Reducing crime, improving traffic flow, and attracting more employment opportunities to the area remain the top three factors identified as "very important" to improving Springfield’s quality of life.

• The importance of preserving historic buildings and revitalizing the downtown area have both trended upward over the past five years.

• As has been the case over the past five years, over 70% of area residents felt safe (either "safe" or "very safe") from violent crimes in their neighborhoods. The percentage of area residents feeling "unsafe" from violent crimes in their neighborhoods has never exceeded 7% during any of the past five survey years.

• Keeping in line with past survey results, over 50% of area residents felt safe (either "safe" or "very safe") from property crimes in their neighborhoods. The percentage of area residents feeling "unsafe" from neighborhood property crimes has never exceeded 18% during any of the past five survey years.

• The top four neighborhood concerns identified by area residents as "major problems" were speeding (22%), traffic congestion (14%), cluttered, junky yard/porches (11%), and drugs (10%). These were also the main concerns identified in previous citizen surveys.

• A majority of area residents (63%) perceived Springfield’s growth rate to be about right, while 34% felt Springfield was growing too fast. Only 3% said Springfield was not growing fast enough. Perceptions regarding Springfield’s growth rate have remained fairly constant over the past five years.

• The aspects residents like most about living in Springfield continue to be its friendly people and small town atmosphere as well as Springfield’s size (i.e., not too big, not too small), convenience, and accessibility.

• Other positive aspects of Springfield mentioned on a regular basis since 1996 have been its low crime rate, low cost of living, and its natural beauty and close proximity to lakes/rivers for purposes of outdoor recreation.

• Traffic congestion remains the aspect residents like least about living in Springfield–cited by nearly 44% of respondents in 2000. However, the percentage of respondents identifying "traffic" as the City’s least desirable feature declined for the first time in five years.

• When asked to identify the biggest problem facing Springfield in the next five years, traffic congestion was still the number one future concern--cited by 41% of those surveyed. However, citizen concerns regarding future traffic congestion problems in Springfield declined for the first time in five years.

• Concern over rising crime and violence was the second most frequently mentioned future concern of Springfieldians (as has been the case over the past five years). The percentage of citizens citing safety as a future concern in this year’s survey (19%) was up from the 13% reported in last year’s survey. However, the long-term trend dating back to 1996 remains favorable.

• Future concerns with Springfield’s physical environment (e.g., urban sprawl, overbuilding) continue to ease. Whereas 17% of area residents in 1996 said it was Springfield’s biggest problem in next five years, only 7% felt this was the case in 2000.

• The percentage of respondents indicating that Springfield had become a more desirable place to live over the past five years dropped during the past year (from 32% in 1999 to 24% in 2000). One half of this decline (4%) can be attributed to an increase in the number of people who felt Springfield’s desirability had remained about the same over the past five years, while the other half (4%) can be linked to those who said Springfield had become a less desirable place to live. The 2000 findings are similar to those reported in 1996 and 1997 (the first two years of the Citizen Survey).

• Younger respondents (18-34 years old), recent residents to the Springfield area (1-5 years), and those well informed on City issues were the demographic groups most likely to believe Springfield had become a more desirable place to live.

• Positive perceptions regarding the performance of Springfield city government continue to outnumber negative perceptions by more than 2-to-1 on four of the five areas examined ("Representing All Areas of Springfield" remains the exception).

• "Providing Services Efficiently" has been the highest rated performance factor over the past five years. Over 50% of residents have consistently evaluated the City favorably on this factor, less than 15% have held negative opinions.

• While "Being Responsive to Citizens" has declined since 1996 (49% vs. 42% in 2000), positive ratings have remained relatively stable over the past three years and negative evaluations have never exceeded 15%. The same can be said for "Planning for the Future." Although there has been a decline in positive ratings since 1997, they have stabilized somewhat over the past three years.

• Favorable perceptions of the City’s efforts to work through critical issues peaked during the 1996 survey (41%) and have leveled off to approximately 36% over the past three years. Negative evaluations on this performance factor have been relatively low--about 15% during each of the five survey years.

• "Representing All Areas of Springfield" has consistently been the lowest rated performance factor of the five tested over the past five survey years (28% to 34% of residents have evaluated the City positively on this factor, while negative responses have ranged from 27% to 30%).

• Positive evaluations of City performance on all five factors increase significantly with City issue awareness.

• City employees received relatively high marks by those who came in contact with them (approximately 55% of respondents). The vast majority of these respondents (70% or more) rated City employees favorably with respect to courteousness, professional attitude, knowledge, and overall impression. Willingness to help was rated favorably by 69% of residents who had City employee contact. Over the past five survey years, negative ratings have never exceeded 15% for any of the City employee characteristics tested, including overall impression.

• Overall satisfaction with Springfield city services ("very" and "somewhat" satisfied) has ranged from 59% to 65% over the past five survey years (60% reported in 2000). Less than 15% of residents in any one survey year have expressed dissatisfaction with the services received from the City.

• Among residents living within the Springfield city limits, a majority (63%) said they would be willing to pay higher taxes for additional police and 50% would be willing to support higher taxes for more citywide snow removal. A relatively large percentage of residents expressed interest in additional street resurfacing (48%) and traffic enforcement (45%) via a tax increase.

• Over 60% of City residents said they would not support higher taxes for additional school parks, parks/recreational facilities, and animal control. However, it should be noted that these percentages reflect general responses and may be different when tied to specific proposals.

• Beginning in 1997, a question regarding level of City services received versus taxes paid was included on the Citizen Survey. Approximately 70% of residents each year have indicated that the level of services provided by the City was about right considering the amount of taxes paid.

• A set of questions designed to gauge public trust in local government have been included on the Citizen Survey since 1996. By a 2-to-1 margin, area residents are pleased with City efforts to welcome citizen involvement, and by a 4-to-1 margin they are pleased with the City’s overall direction.

• On the question of whether local tax dollars are being wisely spent, citizens are more evenly divided in their opinions--34% agree, 23% disagree, and 43% neither agree nor disagree. The large percentage of neutral opinions (43%) may indicate a lack of information on which to base an opinion.

• Favorable perceptions regarding the overall direction of Springfield and the expenditure of local tax dollars have remained relatively constant over the past five years. And while there was a significant drop in positive ratings in 1998 with respect to welcoming citizen involvement, ratings on this issue have stabilized over the past three years at about 41%.

• Trust in Springfield city government is strongly linked to City issue awareness. As citizen awareness of City issues increases, so does trust in Springfield city government.

• Citizen perceptions regarding the amount of influence they have on City decision making have declined since 1996 (also a national trend). Whereas 50% of residents felt they had "some" or "a lot" of influence in 1996, 44% felt this way in 2000.

• The number of area residents self-identified as well informed on major City issues has hovered around 38% the past three years, down from 44% in 1997. The number of citizens who consider themselves uninformed on City issues has changed very little in the past five years--22% to 24%.

• The vast majority of area residents (over 90%) believe the City of Springfield should encourage existing businesses to expand locally and should attract new businesses to the area, primarily light manufacturing (75%) and high tech companies (66%).

• A solid majority of area residents continue to favor recruiting more light manufacturing (75%) and high tech positions (66%) to the area. The public’s desire to recruit for jobs in the service, heavy manufacturing, and retail/sales fields has been steadily increasing since 1998 and now exceeds 40% in each of these three fields.

• Interest in attracting more visitors to the area and developing the downtown area has plateaued over the past three survey years. During this time approximately 73% of citizens indicated they would like the City to attract more visitors to the area and about 70% would like to see the downtown area developed.

• While there have been no major fluctuations in the trend data with respect to level of community participation and community involvement, the percentage of residents who watch Channel 23 has declined from 52% in 1996 to 47% in 2000. The percentage of citizens who have volunteered their time to some group or activity in Springfield has varied by three-to-five percentage points each survey year and currently stands at 37%.

• Attendance at public meeting remains low (has yet to exceed 15% in any one year) and the percentage of area residents who have attended at least one City Council meeting remains at 7% for the fifth consecutive year.

• Newspapers and television remain the most frequently relied upon sources for information about Springfield city government (each source used by approximately 90% of respondents in each survey year). The third and fourth most frequently utilized City information sources continue to be radio and CU inserts--used by over 50% of area resident.

• The use of public signs as a City information source increased significantly from 1996 to 1998 (33% and 47%, respectively). Over the past three years public signs have served as a City information source for about 45% of the population. The government information channel continues to be a City information source for approximately 35% of area residents--the same as reported in 1996.

• The 2000 results reported substantial increases in the use of community events and the City’s Internet homepage to acquire information about City government. Notably, the percentage of citizens accessing the City’s homepage for City information more than doubled in the past 12 months (7% vs. 17%), while the use of community events as an information source increased from 18% to 27% during the same time period.

• Public meetings, telephone hotlines, and touch screen kiosks were less frequently used City information sources (each was accessed by less than 10% of the area population in any one survey year).

• 67% of area residents supported the idea of the City of Springfield and Greene County working together to provide 911 Emergency Dispatching services through a single department.

• 50% of area residents supported the idea of the City of Springfield and Greene County working together to provide Planning & Zoning services through a single department.

• 46% of area residents supported the idea of the City of Springfield and Greene County working together to provide Building Development/Code Enforcement services through a single department.

• 40% of area residents supported the idea of the City of Springfield and Greene County working together to provide Police services through a single department.

• Area residents strongly supported the continuation of the 1/4 cent Capital Improvements Sales Tax. Overall, 77% supported the continuation of this tax (42% "strongly support") and only 14% were opposed (9% were undecided).

• 63% of area residents supported the continuation of the 27 cent (per $100 assessed value) property tax, (27% "strongly support") and 26% were opposed (11% were undecided).

• Most of Springfield’s current population is derived from in-state migration (49%), life long residents (16%), migration from the five surrounding states of Kansas, Illinois, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Iowa (18%), as well as migration from California (5%) and Texas (5%). The percentage of in-state migration increased from 43% in 1998 to 49% in 2000.

• Traffic woes continue to afflict Springfieldians. Almost half of those surveyed (49%) mentioned traffic or congestion as the thing they liked least about Springfield, up from 34% in 1996. Three-quarters of respondents think improving traffic flow in Springfield is very important in improving the quality of life in Springfield, up from 68% in 1996. When asked about the biggest problem facing Springfield, a plurality of residents (45%) mentioned traffic. Notably, only 26% of residents felt this way in 1996.

• For the third consecutive year, traffic congestion has surpassed fear of crime as the problem Springfieldians are most concerned about in the next five years. However, the vast majority of area residents (78%) indicated a willingness to address traffic concerns through a continuation of the 1/8 cent Transportation Improvements Sales Tax.

• There is evidence that Springfieldians are becoming less concerned with crime. In the past 12 months, citizen perceptions of safety in their neighborhoods have increased, perceptions of safety from property crimes are at an all time high, fewer people are mentioning crime reduction as a "very important" factor to improving the quality of life in Springfield (although 83% still do), crime is no longer listed among the top five things residents like least about Springfield, and the percentage of Springfieldians who perceive crime as the biggest problem facing Springfield in the near future has dropped from 31% in 1996 to 13% in 1999.

• Preserving historic buildings and revitalizing the downtown area have taken on greater significance over time. In 1999, more people viewed these activities as "very important" to improving the quality of life in Springfield than at any time since 1996, the initial year of the Citizen Surveys. Nearly 70% of residents expressed support for local government efforts to develop the downtown area, up from 62% in 1996.

• Performance ratings of Springfield city government have been in decline over the past three years. However, in 1999, positive ratings maintained their 1998 levels, and in several areas, improvements were noted.

• Willingness to pay higher taxes to support additional City services has fluctuated over the past four years depending on the type of City service evaluated. For example, willingness to pay higher taxes for additional police has steadily decreased since 1996 (as concerns over crime have abated somewhat), while interest in paying more for citywide snow removal has increased significantly in the past four years (although down a bit in 1999 compared to 1998).

• Positive evaluations of City employees have dipped somewhat since 1996, but negative evaluations of City employees have never exceeded 15% in any one survey year. Overall satisfaction with City services has not changed much since 1996 as positive to neutral ratings continue to hover around the 90% level. Approximately 70% of City residents believe the ratio of services received for taxes paid is about right--a percentage that has remained constant since 1997 (first year the question was asked).

• Demand for light manufacturing and high tech jobs increased dramatically in 1999. The desire for more service and retail/sales positions also increased significantly in 1999.

• Local television newscasts as well as newspapers remain the primary sources of City government information for the vast majority of area residents (approximately 90% over the past four years). In contrast, public meetings, City Internet, telephone hotlines, and touch screen kiosks are rarely used (each used by less than 10% of the area population from 1996 to 1999).

• Despite increasing citizen concerns over traffic, area residents remain extremely satisfied with their overall quality of life in Springfield. For the fourth consecutive year, over 90% of Springfieldians rated their quality of life as either "very good" or "good."

• Area residents are increasingly upbeat about the desirability of Springfield as a place to live. In 1996, 23% of residents said Springfield had become a more desirable place to live over the past five years, 32% feel that way today. And, for the first time, the percentage of "more desirable" responses on this question exceed the percentage of "less desirable" responses by a 2-to-1 margin (32% vs. 16%, respectively).

• Awareness of City issues continues to be the single best predictor of citizen attitudes regarding Springfield city government performance, City employees, satisfaction with City services, ratio of services to taxes paid, public trust, feelings of political efficacy, desirability of Springfield as a place to live, and willingness to pay higher taxes to support expanded City services. As awareness levels increase, so do positive evaluations across all these factors.