THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 15, 1995 TAG: 9509140141
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN WEINTRAUB, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
The third annual Virginia Beach Citizen Survey shows that residents are still overwhelmingly happy with their city.
Ninety-four percent of respondents said Virginia Beach is a good place to live - almost exactly the same percent who felt that way last year and the year before.
The city began conducting surveys two years ago to gauge how citizens rate their local government. The results have been almost astonishingly positive every year.
``I knew things were pretty good,'' Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf said this week. ``I'm delighted at the positive results that could be measured in our trying to provide a cost-effective government that still provides quality services that are deemed necessary by our citizens.''
The first year, numbers were so high that city officials questioned their credibility. This year, as last, the survey was conducted by a marketing research firm, instead of city staff, to ensure valid results. The numbers have been similar each year, although public opinion of several city services seems to be on the rise.
``I think it's a tribute to the staff, the volunteers and the citizens at large,'' Oberndorf continued. ``And I think council has gone out of their way to make themselves more accessible. The council is providing leadership now, we're setting goals and agendas, we're doing it publicly and we're following through.''
The survey involved 500 randomly selected residents, who were interviewed between June 20 and July 11. The survey has a margin of error of 4.4 percent.
Among the results:
89.2 percent of respondents feel safe in their neighborhoods and 86.8 percent feel the city as a whole is a safe place to live.
83.1 percent feel valued by their city government.
99.6 percent are satisfied overall with city services.
The only changes revealed by this year's survey are positive. Public opinion of golf courses, oceanfront parking and services for the needy has increased significantly, although some citizens still feel those services need improvement.
The city hopes to target the few services that received less than an 80 percent approval rating.
Nearly 40 percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with the city's plans for residential growth. Most said growth should be slowed or stopped altogether; about 7 percent want the city's water problems solved before more growth is allowed.
More than 7 percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with city water and sanitary sewer services because rates are too high. Another 6 percent said they didn't like the taste; and the same number expressed concern about the Lake Gaston water supply problems.
More than 32 percent said they were unhappy with the city's storm drainage system: most because they don't have confidence that the plans will work, or because they felt the cost to taxpayers is too high.
Twenty-two percent of respondents said the city needs more shelters for the homeless. MEMO: SURVEY RESULTS
Percent Satisfied with City Services:
Recreation centers and programs96.7
Parks97.6
Public golf courses*93.7
Public beaches87.7
Public libraries98.8
Museums97.6
Emergency response by police, fire and ambulance95.9
Police services91.1
Fire services99.3
Court services*90.7
Waste collection services85.7
Parking facilities*68.8
Buildings and facilities97.5
Water and sanitary sewer services75.2
Agricultural services97.5
Services for the homeless*67.7
Services for needy families*77.2
Storm water drainage67.8
Maintenance of city roads67.5
Planning for residential growth58.6
Note: * indicates satisfaction level has increased significantly since
1993. None of the levels declined significantly. by CNB