TACOMA, Wash. – More than 750 households across Tacoma will receive a special packet this week as the City of Tacoma launches its biennial in-depth community survey.
Every two years, the City conducts a scientific survey of randomly selected households from each of the City’s Council Districts to hear directly from community members on their priority issues, gauge their level of satisfaction with City services, and gather information to track certain topics and trends over time.
Selected households will receive a printed survey packet in the mail. Survey respondents can choose to complete the survey online, over the phone, or by mailing the completed survey in the prepaid envelope provided in the packet. Survey respondents will be able to participate in English, Spanish, Russian, Ukranian, Vietnamese, Korean or Khmer. Those who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing to win a $500 gift certificate.
The survey will ask for general demographic information, along with some housing information, such as monthly housing costs and whether the residence is rented or owned. The City of Tacoma’s community survey does not ask for one’s Social Security number, banking or credit card information, or specific address information, other than general Council District location used to evaluate various services.
The biennial survey uses rigorous statistical methodology to provide City leaders with a critical snapshot of which services and issues community members feel are important, which service areas have improved over time, and which service areas could improve in the future. The survey results are used by departments and divisions throughout the entire City organization to help identify budgeting and funding priorities, target specific services or programs for improvements, and to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of nearly every part of the City’s day-to-day operations.
More information about the community survey is available on the City’s website or by contacting Ted Richardson from the City’s Office of Strategy at trichardson@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 341-8702.
