The survey received 1,593 responses from residents and nonresidents of the city, providing a detailed overview of mobility, growth and quality of life in Boerne.
While survey respondents were mostly positive about city ratings, categories such as transportation, growth management and pedestrian safety were rated low.
Breaking it down
One of the lowest ranked categories for the city was mobility and infrastructure, with the majority of respondents indicating a need for road improvements and traffic control, especially around the downtown area and the intersection of Herff Road and River Road.
73% of respondents ranked traffic and road congestion management as poor or very poor. Only 3% of respondents ranked this topic as good or very good, while the remaining 23% ranked the category as okay.
Respondents also supported the need for roads in and out of town, with 55% indicating they would support city investment into road infrastructure projects.
When ranking city benefits, 57% of respondents put “small town feel” as the top priority, with 43% of respondents ranking small town feel as good or very good. 31% ranked it as poor or very poor, and the remaining 26% of respondents ranked it as okay.
According to 2024 survey data, respondents who have lived in the city for more than 10 years were more likely to give a rating of okay or lower for topics under city benefits.
Alongside ranking small town feel, 82% of respondents ranked the quality of schools as good or very good, and 81% of respondents indicated that the city is a great place to raise children.
In the 2023 survey, 90% of respondents ranked the quality of schools as good or very good, while 87% indicated that the city is a great place to raise children.
Also of note
When ranking city amenities, 43% of respondents ranked city parks as either good or very good, while 50% ranked city trails and sidewalks as good or very good.
The lowest rated amenity in the city is the city pool, which 61% of respondents ranked as poor or very poor.
Other city amenities that ranked lower included athletic facilities, Boerne City Lake and public art.
For city appearance and beautification, all topics were favored by respondents, with survey results showing the majority of respondents ranking city beauty as good or very good.
The takeaway
During the Feb. 11 City Council meeting, City Manager Ben Thatcher said the survey will be looked at over the year to address comments from respondents and discuss strategies moving forward.
“Going forward, at the beginning of each month’s council meeting, we will pick one of these topics and dive into the specific comments,” he said.
