The City of Boulder today released the results from the most comprehensive, scientifically valid and representative survey it has conducted in the past five years.
Key Findings
The findings reflect what professional survey researchers say is true across the nation: satisfaction with government services has declined in the post-pandemic era.
For questions asked in both 2018 – the last time the survey was conducted – and this fall, scores declined in 44 of 78 areas measured. Thirteen of the areas received more positive ratings, and 21 stayed about the same.
“While this survey does not tell us why individuals scored services the way they did, this downward trend is consistent across a strong majority of the hundreds of communities that have conducted a survey with us in the post-pandemic years.” said Jade Arocha, director of survey research with Polco, who conducted the survey on Boulder’s behalf. “It appears the pandemic, resulting cuts in programs and the emergence of stark economic and emotional health issues have taken a toll.”
For this reason, the researchers say, it can be most helpful to compare how Boulder fared with peer cities along the Front Range and across the country. By this measure, Boulder performed at levels similar to or higher than comparable governments in nearly every category.
Some of the services rated higher in 2023 than elsewhere included:
| Service | Percent that scored the service excellent or good
|
| Fitness opportunities, including recreational programs or classes | 96% and 88%, respectively |
| Availability of paths and walking trails | 94% |
| Sewer and stormwater management | 92% and 83%, respectively |
| Delivery of clean drinking water | 90% |
| Preservation of natural areas | 86% |
| Opportunities to volunteer and to attend special events or cultural, arts and music activities | 85%, 82% and 80%, respectively |
| Ease of travel by bicycle and while walking | 82% and 81%, respectively |
The lowest rated services in 2023 were still positively rated by at least one-third of residents, and many scores were similar to or higher than in comparable cities. Examples in this category included:
| Service | Percent that scored the service excellent or good
|
| Availability of high-speed internet access | 48% |
| Code enforcement (weeds, abandoned buildings etc.) | 47% |
| Land use, planning and zoning | 40% |
| Street repair | 34% |
Areas that rated lower than benchmarks either nationally, along the Front Range, or both were: cost of living; safety from property crime and fire, flood or natural disaster; air quality; police or sheriff services; crime prevention; and snow removal.
Additional Themes
In addition to these key findings, the data led Polco to conclude that:
“We are incredibly grateful to those who chose to complete the survey,” City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde said. “As a city, we’ve committed to more data-based decision-making, and these results will help us as we make decisions about how best to expend taxpayer money, community energy and our staff’s expertise.”
While the conclusions are based on the totality of the responses, the survey firm was also able to provide results disaggregated by race and ethnicity, as well as other demographic characteristics.
“I’m especially interested in examining the feedback from community members whose voices have been historically excluded from these types of comprehensive surveys,” Rivera-Vandermyde added. “Evaluation of what we’re hearing from these populations is an important component of the Racial Equity Plan adopted by City Council in 2022.”
Government Performance Indicators
In addition to evaluating operations and services, the survey provides a barometer for community confidence about several measures related to governance and decision-making. In 2023, these included the following:
| Indicators | Percent that rated the indicator as excellent or good |
| The job Boulder government does at treating community members with respect | 62% |
| The job Boulder government does at welcoming community member involvement | 57% |
| The job Boulder government does at informing the public with openness and transparency | 53% |
| The overall direction that Boulder is taking | 43% |
| The job Boulder's City Council does implementing policies that reflect the values of the Boulder community | 42% |
As with the previous results, Boulder’s ratings for these indicators were similar to Front Range and national benchmark cities for each of the categories that were consistently measured.
In 2023, the city included an additional set of questions, with a focus on individuals who participated in city-sponsored engagement in the previous 12 months. Of the respondents, 29% indicated they had provided input related to city decision-making in 2023. Of those, a little more than half indicated they believed their feedback was heard, even if the outcome wasn’t ultimately what they preferred. Individuals who identified as “not Hispanic” and those unable to cover all their essential expenses without accumulating debt were less likely than their counterparts to believe their input was heard.
“We recognize the power of community-informed decision-making, and we’ve been working hard to engage in new ways that are inclusive and meaningful,” said Sarah Huntley, director of Communication and Engagement. “These data points help us see the progress we’ve made so far and give us a way to measure our efforts in the future.”
Survey Methodology
The survey was the 11th of its kind conducted for Boulder by Polco since 1987. In 2014, the city established the practice of using a consistent data tool to survey the community every two years. That cadence was interrupted by COVID-19, but the city plans to get back on a cycle of regularity with the 2023 effort.
Between Sept. 5 and Oct. 17, 2023, 6,000 randomly selected households were invited to take the five-page survey, either online or on paper. The online survey was available in English, Spanish and Nepali.
Polco received 895 responses, which represents a 15% response rate and yields a 95% confidence interval with a +/- 3% margin of error.
In addition, an identical survey was made available through the city’s BeHeardBoulder site to allow individuals who were interested in providing feedback but not invited through random selection to participate. An additional 324 responses were collected in this way.
Results were then statistically weighted to reflect Boulder overall.
Next Steps
Boulder City Council will receive a presentation about the effort and the findings from a representative of Polco at its Jan. 11, 2024, special meeting. While council members will be able to ask questions and make comments, there is no public participation slated for this session.
City staff plan to confer with the Council Subcommittee on Engagement to create opportunities for the community to reflect on the results and provide additional feedback to department directors and elected officials sometime in February.
In the meantime, the full report, including data appendices, is available on https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/community-survey.
