FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The results of the 2014 Citizen Survey are in, and they show that Springfieldians are pleased with the overall direction their city is taking and they feel they are receiving a good value for their taxes they pay. Overall citizen satisfaction in the City of Springfield is 15% higher than the Kansas/Missouri average and 12% higher the national average, according to independent research firm ETC Institute. The Composite Customer Satisfaction Index for the City also improved one point from 2011, while the national index decreased by two points during the same period. “That’s something you all should be very proud of and is an indication the city is moving in the right direction,” said Chris Tatham with ETC. Tatham presented the results to the City’s leadership team and to City Council Tuesday. The 2014 Citizen Survey (download the complete report at the link below) involved mailing surveys to a random sample of Springfield residents in the spring. Follow-up phone surveys were completed approximately a week later. The goal was to have 800 completed surveys. Springfieldians completed 932 surveys. With a confidence level of 95 percent, the margin of error for the 2014 survey is +/- 3.2 percent overall. Citizens from all income brackets, ages, genders and locations are well represented in the 2014 survey. Most residents are most satisfied with Springfield Fire Department Services and are least satisfied with traffic flow. Regarding public safety, residents generally feel safe in their neighborhoods, but some residents expressed concern with safety in downtown Springfield. Significant changes from the last survey, performed in 2011, include notable short-term increases in ratings of the City as a place to work (+5 percent); quality of the stormwater management system (+5 percent); and effectiveness of City communication with the public (+4 percent); location of the City’s drop-off recycling sites (+4 percent). Notable short-term decreases include cleanliness of City streets and public areas (-6 percent); overall maintenance of City streets and infrastructure (-5 percent); maintenance of major City streets (-5 percent); maintenance of neighborhood streets (-5 percent); City efforts to prevent crime (-5 percent); and overall enforcement of City Code and ordinances (-4 percent). The survey also asked citizens to indicate areas the City should prioritize. Based on those results, Tatham said if the City wants to see its overall satisfaction rating increase, the City should emphasize improvements to traffic flow, the maintenance of city streets and public safety over the next 2-3 years. # # # For more information, contact: Cora Scott, Director of Public Information & Civic Engagement, 417-864-1009 (office) | 417-380-3352 (cell), [email protected]