Quality, Quality of Life

Responses to quality of life indicators were exceptional, with 99 percent of residents rating their quality of life as either “excellent” or “good.”  In fact, a very high 46 percent deem it “excellent.”

“The overall positive rating is at the top of suburban communities, while the “excellent” rating remains among the top five communities in the Metropolitan Area,” Morris Leatherman reported in its executive summary of the survey results.

At 18 percent and 14 percent, respectively, “strong neighborhood/good housing” and “safe community” lead the list of attributes people like most about living in the community.  “Friendly people” is third, at 13 percent, followed by “close to family,” at 10 percent, “close to job,” at nine percent, and “parks and trails,” also at nine percent. 

On the Right Track

Ninety-five percent of residents think things in Roseville are generally headed in the “right direction,” with 91 percent of the sample reporting that the general sense of community in the City of Roseville is “very strong” or “somewhat strong.”

City Services Well Received

When it comes to city services, satisfaction among residents was also high. The mean approval rating is 90.4 percent, a significant 4.1 percent increase over the 2014 survey.  When only residents holding opinions are considered, the mean score jumps to 94.6 percent, well within the top 10 percent of ratings in the Metropolitan Area.

More than 95 percent rate police protection, fire protection, emergency medical services, drainage and flood control, building inspections, and code enforcement as either “excellent” or “good.”  Between 90 and 94 percent favorably rate sewer and water, animal control, snow plowing, trail and pathway plowing in neighborhoods, and pathway repair and maintenance in the parks.

The only trend-breaking exception was street repair and maintenance, which 81 percent rank as either “excellent” or “good.” Still, that 81-percent ranking for streets is 16 percent higher than the average Metro community.

Elected Officials, Staff Rated High

Respondents give the Mayor and Council a job approval rating of 93 percent, up five percent in two years, and a disapproval rating of only four percent. The almost 23-to-one approval-to-disapproval rating of the Mayor and City Council remains among the top ratings in the Metropolitan Area suburbs.  

Residents also looked favorably on City Staff, awarding a job approval rating of 97 percent and a disapproval rating of only two percent.  Both the absolute level of approval and the 49-to-one ratio of approval-to-disapproval are also among the top Metropolitan Area suburbs.

Areas of Concern

According to the survey, the key issue facing leadership moving forward is addressing perceptions about “rising crime,” particularly “youth crimes and vandalism,” “break-ins and theft from automobiles,” and “drugs.”

Property tax levels have diminished as a secondary concern, but their level is still a limiting factor for City leadership. However, residents report a willingness to increase property taxes to maintain city services at their current level.

The survey also suggests that community development efforts should focus on helping seniors stay in the community. Attracting more job-producing businesses to Roseville was also addressed as a need identified by residents.          

Survey Methodology

 
Survey responses were gathered by professional interviewers by phone. The average interview took 22 minutes.  All respondents interviewed were adult residents of the City of Roseville.  In general, random samples such as this yield results within ± 5.0 percent in 95 out of 100 cases.

Public Presentation

Peter Leatherman of The Morris Leatherman Company provided an executive presentation of the survey and resulting data at the July 11 City Council meeting.