Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 8, 1993 TAG: 9307080241
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Sixty-eight percent of city residents believe the city does not spend enough money on economic development and job creation. And 54 percent think the city should spend more on schools.
Nearly 90 percent are generally satisfied with life in the city, but they also have concerns about other issues.
Three out of five think the city does not spend enough money to eradicate dilapidated housing. Ninety-four percent want the city to expand recreation programs for youths.
The Center for Survey Research at Virginia Tech conducted the scientific survey of 640 residents. It has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
Nearly 80 percent of city residents rated Roanoke as a good to excellent place to raise a family, and almost three-fourths said it is a good to excellent place to retire.
Wednesday, City Manager Bob Herbert released the survey's results, which will be used in preparing the Roanoke Vision '93 report and updating the city's comprehensive plan.
A community forum will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Roanoke Civic Center exhibition hall to get more ideas from citizens on what they want the city to be like in the year 2013.
"The survey [allowed] us to obtain a representative reading of how citizens in Roanoke feel about these issues," said Tamasin Roop, a budget and management analyst.
"As we develop plans for the city for the next 20 years, it makes sense to go directly to the citizens and find out what's important to them now and in the future," she said.
Herbert said the survey results also will help shape next year's budget.
The city manager said he was not surprised that jobs and economic development are a major concern of residents in light of plant closings and layoffs in the past year.
"This is something that is on everyone's mind and the results will help us keep focused," Herbert said.
Younger people are the most concerned about jobs. Seventy-three percent of those between ages 18 and 54 said the city is not spending enough to increase employment opportunities. Forty percent of those older than 65 felt the same.
The results were mixed on city schools.
When asked if they felt the schools provided an excellent education, 66 percent said they agreed.
However, when the residents were asked to rate the quality of city schools, only 10 percent rated them excellent.
Most residents (72 percent) rated the schools as fair to good. Elderly people and residents in Southwest Roanoke were more positive about the quality of schools.
There was strong support for smaller classes (92 percent] and more support services such as social workers, psychologists and nurses (90 percent).
"The survey indicates that City Council was on target when it added additional funding for more teachers to decrease class size," Herbert said.
"In addition, the summer programs for youths we [recently] announced also addresses citizen concern for more recreational opportunities for youth."
Herbert said the most pleasing result of the survey is that people feel safe in their neighborhoods and in the city.
Despite the nationwide concern about the crime rate, safety does not appear to be a major worry for Roanoke residents.
Ninety-five percent reported they feel "somewhat to very safe " in their homes. Sixty percent said they would feel safe walking alone in their neighborhood at night.
"This could be a direct result of the new police positions we've added in the past few years, new efforts such as community-oriented policing and citizens coming together to improve their neighborhoods," Herbert said.
The city manager said Roanoke will put a second COPE team in high-crime neighborhoods this winter. City Council included funds for it in the current budget.
Nine out every 10 residents said that improving racial relations and cultural awareness is important.
The survey also revealed that many residents have a desire to get more involved in city government and to know more about what's going on in the city.
Forty-two percent said there are not enough opportunities to be involved, and 45 percent said they don't receive enough information.
Age is a factor on this issue - older residents were much more likely to feel they had received enough information.
The primary sources of information about city government are the newspaper (61 percent) and television (27 percent).
Herbert said city officials will make greater use of the government-access channel on the Cox Cable system in the next year.
Forty-one percent of the residents had attempted to contact the city in the past 12 months. Of those who did, 70 percent said they were satisfied with the experience.
Overall, 66 percent of residents feel that city government is somewhat responsive to citizens' needs. Older residents tend to rate the city much more favorably - one in five said the city is very responsive.
by CNB