Why Modesto is asking its residents to fill out a survey
Modesto is asking residents to fill out an online survey to learn what they believe the city is doing well and where it needs to improve, including its efforts to tackle homelessness and how efficiently it spends its public safety money.
The survey is available at modestogov.com (scroll down the page to “Latest News” heading and then click on the survey link), and the city will be collecting surveys through Feb. 15.
The survey is exhaustively comprehensive, but that will give the city more information about what is on residents’ minds. The questions include rating Modesto as a place to live and work, the quality of city services, the condition of city streets and sidewalks, and how well the city keeps residents informed about what it does.
City spokesman Thomas Reeves said the survey is part of City Manager Joe Lopez’s effort to find out “what we are doing well, what we need to work on, and residents’ priorities.”
He said the survey results will help the city set priorities for its upcoming budget, which begins July 1, and in the development of the city’s latest strategic plan. But Reeves said this is not an effort to gauge support for a sales tax increase.
Reeves said the survey is not costing taxpayers anything. He said the city is working with the Stanislaus State University’s criminal justice department on the survey, which included developing the questions and then analyzing the results.
Reeves said the department’s faculty and students are donating their time. He said the Police Department previously worked with the department on a survey, and the city asked the department for its help on this survey.
Modesto had received about 100 responses as of last week since the survey went live at the end of December. Reeves said Modesto would like about 500 residents to take the survey.
Reeves said he is reaching out to groups and organizations throughout Modesto to get the word out about the survey to ensure those who take it reflect Modesto’s diversity.
The survey includes questions about which council district survey takers live in, their race, and demographic information, including household income and whether they rent or own. But survey takers don’t include their names, and the results are anonymous.
Reeves said he expects the survey results will be discussed at a City Council meeting in March or April.
This story was originally published January 14, 2019 at 1:35 PM.
