DeSoto City officials were joined by a representative of the nationally recognized market research and survey firm ETC Institute on Tuesday evening as they rolled out the results of DeSoto’s 2022 Residential Survey to the DeSoto City Council and the DeSoto community. Among the findings shared was the fact that the City’s resident satisfaction levels rated higher than the National average in 56 of 72 areas assessed and rated above the Texas regional average in 55 of 72 areas.
DeSoto fared strongest versus other communities nationally, coming in 33.3% higher for the quality of residential garbage collection, 32.3% higher for the quality of customer service from City employees, and 30.5% higher versus the nation for the overall effectiveness of City communication with the public. And closer to home, DeSoto scored 43.1% higher than the rest of Texas for the quality of residential garbage collection, 42.7% better in terms of City employee overall customer service, 41.0% in overall traffic flow and congestion management in the City, and 40% higher than the rest of the state for the overall effectiveness of City communication with the public.
The 2022 Survey is the second resident survey that the City has conducted with provider ETC since 2020. DeSoto conducts resident surveys every two years with the next resident survey planned for 2024.
“By conducting these citywide resident surveys on a biannual basis, we are able to better gauge just how effectively we are delivering our services and serving and protecting our residents,” said DeSoto Mayor Rachel L. Proctor. “While it is pleasing to know that our residents are rating the job that our City does at a much higher level than most of the surveyed US and Texas cities, we are continuously working to do a better job with service delivery and to broaden the positive impact that we can have on the lives of our residents.”
The report also identifies recommended investment priorities based on a combination of the satisfaction score and how responders ranked services for emphasis. Citizen feedback from the survey identified the overall enforcement of City codes and ordinances as the top area for investment priorities followed by investing in the overall effectiveness of City communication with the public, in the overall quality of parks and recreation programs and facilities, and in the overall quality of City water and sewer utilities. City staff will continue to ensure that items identified with high emphasis scores continue to be delivered at high satisfaction levels to DeSoto residents.
Ryan Murray, the ETC’s Assistant Director of Community Research, delivered a presentation to the Council based on the final survey results and both can be viewed at www.desototexas.gov/CommunitySurvey. You can also view Tuesday evening’s City Council meeting on demand on the City of DeSoto’s Facebook Page at https://bit.ly/3tBCZaO. (Note: The discussion begins at 1 hour 58 minutes into the tape.)
Results of the City’s 2022 Resident Survey and supporting documents along with previous surveys can be viewed on the City of DeSoto’s Community Survey information page at http://www.desototexas.gov/CommunitySurvey
The ETC Institute was founded in 1982 by Dr. Elaine Tatham to help local governments gather data from residents to enhance their community planning. It grew from a one-person operation to a national corporation that has completed research projects and surveys for clients in 49 states. This includes thousands of surveys, focus groups, and stakeholder meetings. Over the past 5 years, ETC Institute has administered surveys in more than 1,000 cities and counties nationwide and has conducted research for more major U.S. cities than any other firm. To learn more about the ETC Institute visit its website at https://etcinstitute.com.
