The survey showed 73% of respondents thought the city was headed in the right direction, but that percentage dropped from 82% in 2022; 27% in 2024 say it is going in the wrong direction. The percentage of people who think the the city has gotten worse in its direction jumped from 12% to 21% from 2022 to 2024.
This the third year for the Keller survey. The city had 1,802 responses. Residents could respond between March 7-24.
The background
Ron Gailey, CEO and founder of OnPointe Insights, talked to council about the findings his company found in its oversight of the survey, which involved a number of areas, such as city facilities as well as development and growth. He said Keller rated well compared to other cities and called the results “amazing.”
“We have the same survey pretty much as we have had in prior years, but we made a few tweaks here and there, a few refinements that we thought might be useful to explore a little more deeply,” Gailey said.
The details
In his overall view of the survey, Mayor Armin Mizani said he appreciated that more than 90% of the respondents were happy with the quality of life in Keller, and he pitched the idea of the city creating a twice-a-year mailer in which residents were informed about city happenings, such as where their tax dollars are going.
In analyzing Keller’s dip in ratings, Gailey speculates society, “grumpiness in general,” news and politics could be factors.
The survey included demographics, with 57% of respondents being female, and the survey revealed that when people were asked about their favorite aspects of the city, the top three responses were amenities, such as parks and playgrounds; safety; and great walkability, such as sidewalks. The next top answer was Keller’s “small-town feel.”
As far as areas that could use improvement, infrastructure as well as transportation and roads were the top response, followed by the local businesses and economy.
