| HIGHLIGHTS OF RESEARCH
FINDINGS
The following bulleted points summarize the research findings. Following
this summary is a more detailed analysis of the data.
• The sample is comprised of Ashland residents, who on average have
lived there 15 years. Over three-fourths (78%) own their home and the majority
are registered voters (90%). The sample is very similar demographically to
the samples in 2000 and 1998.
• The sample is middle aged with 41% between 45 - 64 years old, and
33% are 65 or older. Approximately six out of ten (57%) are employed, with
the highest percent of the sample falling in the combined annual household
income categories of $50,000 - $74,999 (19%) and $75,000 or higher (19%).
Three out of ten households (28%) have children at home.
• Thirty percent (30%) of those surveyed feel the quality of life in
Ashland has gotten worse and 43% feel it has stared the same over the past
couple of years. There is a group of supporters who feel things have improved
(20%), this is unchanged since 2000.
• Overall, respondents consider the City just as responsive in 2003
as they did in 2000 and 1998 when addressing and working on the problems
and needs of the community. On a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 = very responsive.
The City scored a 3.4 now, compared to a 3.3 average mean in 2000 and 3.4
in 1998. Less than half (43%) considers the City responsive, with 28% saying
somewhat responsive and 15% saying very responsive.
• A lower percent of respondents feel growth and development in Ashland
during the past several years has been too fast. Currently, 55% of the sample
feels growth and development is too fast, compared to 62% in 2000 and 57%
in 1998. One-third (33%) feel it's about right.
• Roughly four out of ten respondents in the 2000 sample (39%) said
investing in tourism is very important, compared to 44% in 1998. In the 2003
survey respondents were asked to rate the impact tourism has on the City
of Ashland. Nine out of ten (89%) feel that tourism has a positive impact
on the City.
• In 2000, when asked to suggest a change that could make Ashland a
better place to live, the most frequent response was limit growth and
development, mentioned by 17%. While this question was not asked in 2003,
a new survey question show that half of the sample (52%) feel the City of
Ashland is negatively affected by growth and development.
• In the 2000 survey the sample identified one of the biggest concerns
facing Ashland over the next couple years to be the high cost of housing
(22%). Affordable housing was the area that was mentioned most (by 46% of
the 2000 sample) as having gotten much worse over the past couple of years.
While these questions were not asked in 2003, a new survey question show
that over half of the sample give the City a poor rating on the City's efforts
regarding affordable housing. In fact, the current survey indicates seven
out of ten respondents (71%) have experienced trouble themselves, or know
someone who has had trouble finding housing in Ashland that is in their price
range.
• When asked to rate their overall level of satisfaction with the services
the City provides 41% of the sample said somewhat satisfied, an additional
33% said very satisfied. On a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 = very satisfied, overall
satisfaction with the level of services provided by the City scored a 3.9
average mean, compared to 3.6 in 2000 and 3.7 in the 1998 survey.
• On an individual basis the emergency services (fire and ambulance)
continue to receive the highest mean scores in their performance. On a scale
of 1 - 5, with 5 = excellent, fire protection and ambulance service scored
a 4.4 average mean. Planning for growth and development saw the smallest
increase in the mean score, from 2.8 in 2000 to 2.9 today. No City service
saw a decline in mean scores when compared to the 2000 sample.
• When asked how safe the respondent feels their neighborhood is only
3% of the sample said unsafe.
• In 2000, when asked if there are any services the City provides, but
could eliminate, most mentioned the Ashland Fiber Optic Network. In the 2003
survey, using a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 = excellent, AFN scored an average
mean of 3.5 for both TV cable service and Internet service.
• One-half of the sample (52%) is satisfied with the opportunities provided
to the citizens of Ashland to give input on City decisions. On a scale of
1 - 5, with 5 = very satisfied the mean score given is 3.5, up from 3.4 in
2000 and 3.3 in 1998. There is a relationship between how informed respondents
feel about what is happening in Ashland City government, and how good of
a job they perceive the City is doing keeping them informed. Over half (56%)
feel the City is doing a good to excellent job keeping them informed, and
46% feel they are somewhat to very informed about what is happening in City
government.
• Utility bill inserts, the Ashland Daily Tidings and
friends/co-workers/neighbors are the most frequently used sources for obtaining
information about Ashland.
• There is a shift in perception of trust in the local government towards
more trust. Currently, 39% feel there is some level of trust, compared to
32% in 2000.
• Six out of ten respondents (61%) have had contact with someone at
the City within the past 12 months. Community Development is the department
most frequently contacted (43%) - and there were multiple visits for some
respondents, followed by Public Works (30%). One-half (50%) of those who
have contacted the City rate the staff excellent in courteousness, down from
57% in 2000 and 54% in 1998.
• A higher percent feel the City money is being effectively used in
the 2003 study (27%) compared to 2000 (22%), and slightly less than in 1998
(31%). Roughly the same percent feel the overall quality of the work performed
by City employees is good to excellent (69% in 2003, 68% in 2000). On a scale
of 1 - 5, with 5 = excellent, overall quality of the work performed scored
a 4.0 today compared to 3.9 in 2000 and 4.0 in 1998.
• The 2000 sample identified more public transportation options as a
service they wanted the City to provide. Since that time there has been an
obvious increase in RVTD bus ridership. While approximately seven out of
ten respondents (69%) said they, or family member(s) do not ride an RVTD
bus at any time during an average month, this is down from 85% in the 2000
Tracking study. Ten percent (10%) of the sample say they, and/or a family
member (s), ride the bus 6 times or more per month. Some respondents would
be encouraged to ride the bus (or ride more often) if there were a bus stop
closer to the home, and / or more frequent service.
• Over one-half (58%) of the households with children drive children
to school in an average week. Nearly one-third (31%) drive them to school
every day (5 times per week). When asked their reason(s) for driving children
to school, 33% mention no school bus is available, and 22% cited security/safety
concerns. |
