Covington received a report card for the holiday season, and the marks were good.
The city hired Seattle-based Elway Research to provide a report to the Council. The city was looking for information regarding perceptions of quality of life, city government priorities, satisfaction with various departments, support or opposition for a list of projects that would require taxation, and sources used and desired to get information about the city.
Stuart Elway, owner of the research firm, presented the finding to the City Council Nov. 24.
Elway sampled 300 adult heads of households inside city limits. The survey was conducted by telephone from Oct. 22 to Oct. 27.
Elway provided a profile of those surveyed. Males were 45 percent and females 55 percent. Ages ranged from 18 to 65 and older with 25 percent in the 45- to 54-year-old age range.
The key findings stated two of three respondents said tax dollars were “well spent,” which Elway stated was high for local governments.
More than half, 53 percent, said the city was doing well and 43 percent excellent.
The report noted police response, traffic enforcement and communication with the public were top priorities for city government.
Street and sidewalks had the most support for tax increases and “all other tax increases elicited more opposition than support.”
The report stated the “most solid opposition was against commuter rail and a town center.”
The reported noted 60 percent opposed the commuter rail, 30 percent strongly, and 63 percent opposed a town center, 34 percent strongly.
Elway told the council the survey was a “strong report card” for the city that showed “overall a very good review of the city.”
Councilman Wayne Snoey said, “We need to look at our grade point every once in a while.”
