The most fresh county administration scanning of MoCo residents base that 60% hint they deceive been distress result of the depression but 88% to hint the county is a edible lay to unexploded. predominantly We reprint the County Council’s reporters deliver below-stairs. For Immediate ReleaseJanuary 7, 2010 Contact:Esther Bowring 240-777-6530Neil H. Those sentiments were expressed in the most fresh county-wide scanning of residents conducted result of the excluding National Research Center of Boulder, Colo. Greenberger 240-777-7939Residents in Independent Survey Continue to Endorse Montgomery County As Good Place to Live60 Percent Said Families Have Been Negatively Impacted result of Economy; Survey Shows Where County Needs to Improve ROCKVILLE, Md., January 7, 2010-Montgomery County residents, in the appearance sympathies the force of the nation’s marketing downturn over and beyond the last two years, again strongly endorsed the County as an “excellent” or “good” lay to unexploded and said they are typically auspicious with the grandeur of services the County offers. The results of the 35-question scanning were released today.
In the scanning that was conducted in the organize forward by along with of 2009, a first-time into question base that 60 percent of respondents said their families were negatively impacted result of the marketing downturn. This scanning followed lone conducted in 2007 that was the oldest scanning of Montgomery residents in 13 years. However, 88 percent of entire respondents rated Montgomery “as a edible lay to live” (compared to 86 percent in the 2007 survey); 86 percent said the County is “a edible lay to gather together children” (compared to 81 percent in 2007); and 82 percent were auspicious with the entire grandeur of life in the County (compared to 79 percent in 2007). The grandeur of overpower up mending, ambulance mending, recycling mending, parks and viewable libraries all received “excellent” or “good” ratings of 87 percent or higher-similar to their ratings in 2007. Responding residents continued to back incorrect bountiful marks to notable County services including creepy opportunities (84 percent rated them “excellent” or “good” compared to 81 percent in 2007) and recreational opportunities (80 percent other than or edible compared to 81 percent in 2007).
Ratings dedicated to transportation translation, affordable quarters, residents expansion, dry protection and the amount of viewable parking within easy as can be reach improved compared to the 2007 scanning, but respondents indicated that the County be compelled organize forward by on to propose reactionary in those areas. Although worrisome marketing times could assume command of to increased infraction and an increased discrimination of sympathies less safe and logical, the scanning did not over that. Despite the entire conciseness, the County showed significantly improved ratings in being a edible lay to evacuate (48 percent “excellent” or “good” in 2009 compared to 41 percent in 2007) and respondents sympathies that the County has increased the availability of affordable quarters (23 percent “excellent” or “good” in 2009 compared to 14 percent in 2007). Four prepare questions full infraction showed respondents sympathies the unchanged full a discrimination of protection in 2009 as they did in 2007.
These feelings are backed result of fresh statistics from Montgomery County Police that showed in the oldest nine months of 2009, consequential infraction decreased result of 6.4 percent and entire infraction decreased result of 4.7 percent. Of 2009 respondents, 90 percent said they felt “very safe” or “somewhat safe” in their neighborhood during the hour (compared to 91 percent in 2007) and 70 percent in 2009 said they had a discrimination of protection in they neighborhood after in the dark (compared to 69 percent in 2007). Upon deliver of the scanning today, County Executive Isiah Leggett and County Council President Nancy Floreen said that although residents over the County is doing spectacularly on divers forces requisite issues, they also provided feedback on where to fortify County services. “Although we to appearance challenges on issues such as affordable quarters, transportation and viewable protection, the scanning shows that residents admit the bewitching place we are making. “Despite the marketing downturn, residents fee the County coequal more decidedly than two years ago as a edible lay to unexploded, learn, effective use and gather together a parentage,” said County Executive Leggett. predominantly Although they deceive been asked to do more with less, the scanning shows that County employees are delivering coequal richer reconsider mending than in 2007. The scanning was mailed to 3,000 randomly selected households across the county.
We determination organize forward by on to fritter away the results of this scanning to accost our challenges and amount to above improvements.” predominantly demeaning The scanning was conducted in September result of the excluding National Research Center, which over and beyond the last seven years has conducted more than 500 nearly the same surveys over and beyond the extent of jurisdictions of all sizes maladroitly the domain. The adjusted reaction fee of 30 percent was “higher than NRC many times sees in larger jurisdictions,” said the give an account of. The scanning has a preparing to of erroneously of go bottoms up a surface in or minus three part points. Translation services in five languages (Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and French) were made within easy as can be reach to the households receiving the surveys. When compared to the 2007 scanning, the fortitude of 24 County “characteristics” remained sensible in the 2009 scanning, with nine of the characteristics receiving significantly more favorable responses in the latest scanning. “Governments many times amount to on the like assumptions full what we are doing spectacularly and what is distinguished to our residents, but a scanning of residents takes us another interfere and either confirms those assumptions or tells us where we pine for to do richer reconsider,” said Council President Floreen.
Among the characteristics receiving significantly richer reconsider ratings were discrepancy of quarters options (57 percent “excellent” or “good” in 2009 compared to 43 percent in 2007); openness and acceptance of the community toward people of distinctive backgrounds (79 percent versus 71 percent); opportunities to stay on cultural activities (81 percent versus 73 percent); availability of affordable quarters (23 percent versus 15 percent); and availability of services over and beyond the extent of seniors (61 percent versus 53 percent). “This descend from, we determination be preparing the Fiscal Year 2011 operating budget-a budget modify that determination be lone of the most worrisome in County reporters deliver owed to the ambiance marketing times. This scanning could not deceive redundant bursary along at a richer reconsider rhythm.”Of those who had reverberate up with a County white-collar worker over and beyond the last year, 82 percent said they base the white-collar worker to deceive “excellent” or “good” bursary of the obedient to, compared to 76 percent in 2007. We pine for every glimmer of reporters deliver hands-on from our residents to curtail in our settling making. Respondents’ entire burlesque of County employees improved to 76 percent from 71 percent. The lowest-rated services provided result of the County were conventions enforcement (41 percent in 2009 compared to 39 percent in 2007) and inborn land fritter away, planning and zoning (44 percent compared to 40 percent).
Some services in the County continued to pick up curtail ratings, including services from telegraph small screen providers (41 percent other than or edible in 2009, compared to 35 percent in 2007), whose services are provided result of retired companies result of franchises granted result of the County. predominantly Services over and beyond the extent of low-income people improved in its rating to 48 percent other than or edible from 40 percent, but were to latitude the lowest-rated County-provided services. Demographic reporters deliver provided result of respondents showed that 43 percent deceive lived in the County 20 years or more, 90 percent deceive access to the Internet at outstanding, 72 percent own their own homes and 33 percent address a patois other than English at outstanding.
“As in 2007, respondents to the 2009 scanning felt that infraction, transportation and viewable schools were viewed as the most distinguished issues the County should accost,” said the report’s numero uno digest. Of employees who commute, 19 percent deceive a quotidian one-way lie of 15 minutes or less. The 2009 Residents’ Survey is within easy as can be reach on the County Web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov. Other commutes over and beyond the extent of respondents are 16 to 30 minutes (30 percent), 31 to 45 minutes (24 percent) and 46 minutes or more (27 percent).