By Brian Kelly
Herald Writer
MARYSVILLE — It’s time to pull over and ask for directions.
Or so say city leaders. With a stream of voter initiatives cutting into tax revenues that pay for government services, elected officials are planning a citywide survey in the coming months to find out what residents think Marysville’s priorities should be.
"I think that everybody understands we’re facing revenue shortcomings. And we all need to make sure we’re on the same page with the citizens," Councilman Mike Leighan said.
Although Marysville has polled its people in the past — on topics such as the city’s comprehensive land-use plan and, more recently, on television cable services — the new survey will be broader.
It will not only ask for opinions on priorities, but also probe residents’ impressions on how well various city departments, such as planning, police and fire, have served the public. About 3,000 surveys would be sent to residents.
"We’ve never done an encompassed citywide one before," Leighan said.
He said the previous council was torn by groups that promoted one issue above others, the environment, for example, and it was hard to tell how widely shared such concerns were. The survey will help quantify the things Marysville residents find most important.
"I think this is a good way to gauge what used to be called the silent majority," he said.
Although the council has not yet voted on a contract, National Research Center, Inc., will probably handle the survey. The Colorado-based company has done surveys for cities throughout that state; Lynnwood is also considering citizen surveys, said Doug Buell, Marysville’s community information officer.
Buell said it will probably take up to 18 weeks from the time residents receive a postcard that says the survey is on its way to the time survey results are compiled in a report for the city council.
The cost would start at $7,500, which includes a range of questions plus three more specifically tailored for Marysville. For another $1,200, the survey will include an essay-type question. The council hasn’t yet decided what the custom questions will cover.
Money was not earmarked in the 2002 budget, but funds may be available in other accounts to pay for the poll. Some have suggested that the survey be conducted every two years or so.
"I would like it to be a working document that shows us what the priorities of the citizens of Marysville are," Councilman Jon Nehring said. "I’m not looking for a public opinion survey."
Impressions about how past councils have performed would be irrelevant, Nehring said.
"We’re interested in what they want this council to do in the future," he said.
The next step is a review by the council’s governmental affairs committee, which will go through a set of canned questions and weed out the ones that wouldn’t be useful to Marysville, such as queries on bus or electrical services.
Even so, council members are anxious to get the survey started.
"I want to ASAP this thing," Leighan said, adding that he hopes a finalized list would be completed sometime in March. If that happens, the survey could start arriving in mailboxes in April.
"We can’t do it without the citizens’ help," he stressed. "Don’t put it aside when it comes; fill it out and mail it back."
You can call Herald Writer Brian Kelly at 425-339-3422 or send e-mail to kelly@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
