Latest News

Durham, N.C. – According to the City of Durham’s recent citizen satisfaction survey, overall satisfaction with the City has generally improved, with more than 70 percent of residents surveyed stating they are more satisfied with the city as a place to live and work now than in the 2005 survey results.

The survey, conducted by an independent market research firm in December 2007, asked a random sample of Durham households about their opinions on City services, events and programs.  Of 1,200 sample households within the city, 411 completed the survey for a 34 percent response rate. 

The purpose of the survey, according to City Manager Patrick W. Baker, is to help the City better assess citizens’ satisfaction with City services and to gather input from residents about issues facing the community.  “One of our goals is to make sound budget decisions based on data-driven feedback from our citizens,” Baker said.  “The results from this survey help us determine what areas we’re performing well in and what areas we need to improve in.  The data is also important because we use the results to make daily management decisions and determine what our long-term strategic direction and funding should be.”

According to survey results, 72 percent of respondents were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the quality of their neighborhood, 56 percent were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the overall quality of City services and 52 percent were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the quality of life in the city. 

However, only 38 percent were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the appearance of the city, only 32 percent were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with how well the City is planning growth, only 29 percent were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the value they receive for their City taxes/fees, and only 23 percent were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the image of the City.

In addition, fewer concerns were reported in 2007 than in 2005 by respondents who feel there are problems in their neighborhoods.  Examples of these problems, such as overgrown weeds in yards, abandoned cards, graffiti and dilapidated houses, all showed a decrease of three to one percent from 2007 responses versus 2005 responses. 

Other major findings of the survey include the following: 
• Perceptions of Safety. Eighty-two percent of residents surveyed felt “very safe” or “safe” walking in their neighborhood during the day. Forty-five percent felt safe visiting the City’s recreation centers and 44 percent felt safe walking in the nearest City park during the day. However, only 36 percent felt safe in the City overall.
 
• Public Involvement and Communication.  Fifty-one percent of residents surveyed were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the availability of information about City programs and services. Forty-two percent were satisfied with the City’s efforts to keep them informed on local issues, and 30 percent were satisfied with the level of public involvement in local decisions.
 
• Parks and Recreation.  Fifty-four percent of residents surveyed were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the City’s greenways and trails.  Fifty percent were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the City’s parks.  Forty-five percent were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the City’s recreation centers.  However, only 35 percent of the residents were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the City’s swimming pools.
 
• City Maintenance.  Fifty-nine percent of residents surveyed were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the condition of street signs and traffic signals.  Forty-eight percent were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the mowing and trimming along city streets and public areas and 44 percent with the condition of streets in their neighborhood. However, 18 percent of the residents surveyed were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with street maintenance and repair.

• Code Enforcement.  Only 28 percent of residents surveyed were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with enforcing the mowing of weeds on private property. Only 28 percent were happy with the City’s efforts to remove inoperative vehicles.
 
• City Utility Services.  Eighty-six percent of the residents surveyed were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with City trash collection services.  Eighty-two percent were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the City curbside recycling, and 60 percent with the quality of drinking water.  Only 57 percent were satisfied with the City’s bulky item pick-up and removal services.

The ETC Institute, a professional market research firm based in the Kansas City area, conducted the survey on behalf of the City.  The Institute has more than 20 years of expertise in customer satisfaction, citizen issues, and community needs assessment research and conducts similar municipal surveys nationwide.

The results of the survey were reported to the Durham City Council during today’s budget retreat.  Full results of the survey are available on the City’s Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/bms/pdf/citizen_survey_2007.pdf.   

About the Department of Budget and Management Services
The mission of the City’s Department of Budget & Management Services is to inform and enhance management and City Council decision-making, to ensure the accountability of all City funds and to evaluate and the recommend the best use of public resources.  To learn more about this department, visit the City’s Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/bms.