Arizona Home Talk

by Alia Beard Rau - Jan. 24, 2009 08:01 AM

The Arizona Republic

Gilbert residents like living in Gilbert.

They like the small-town atmosphere, the family-friendliness, their new neighborhoods and their feeling of safety.

They don’t like the roads or the traffic. They’d like to see more public transportation options. They are concerned by the rapid growth and would like to see more economic development.

That was the feedback from Gilbert’s most recent resident satisfaction survey of 600 heads-of-household, released this week.

Here are more detailed results:
• 97 percent were satisfied with living in Gilbert.
• 27.5 percent like the town’s small-town atmosphere.
• Poor road conditions and traffic congestion was the most common complaint, followed by concern over growth-related issues like rapid growth and the need for economic development.
• 91 percent believe Gilbert is as good as or better than other East Valley community in quality development. Younger residents and those living in central Gilbert were particularly positive.
• 87 percent are satisfied with the way the town has planned and developed public facilities.
• 55.5 percent said residential quality has improved over the past few years. Single residents, those in southern Gilbert and those with several children were most satisfied.
• 84 percent were satisfied with commercial development in Gilbert. Good shopping, good planning and closeness of amenities were cited as reasons. Women, those who have lived in Gilbert for two years or less and those ages 18-35 were most satisfied.
• 95 percent were satisfied with their neighborhood. They mentioned good neighbors, good schools, recreational facilities, safety, cleanliness, quiet and being family-oriented.
• Those who were dissatisfied with their neighborhoods mentioned an increase in the number of rental homes.
• 73 percent were satisfied with the policy decisions of the mayor and council. Satisfaction increased with age and length of residency.
• 89 percent were satisfied with the value they receive from their tax dollars. The most common reason for dissatisfaction was the belief that Gilbert taxes are high.
• Respondents said the town should focus on eight key areas: community centers, rec programs, trails and open space, historical preservation, parks, public transportation, community events and fine arts programs.
• The majority surveyed supported tax increases for trails and open space, recreational programming, historical preservation, community centers and riparian preserves.
• The majority opposed tax increases for parks, community events and fine arts programs.
• More than half of the respondents supported maintaining spending levels on police, streets, fire, parks and recreation and water/sewer.
• Respondents were most satisfied with the services from fire, garbage collection, recycling program, the police department and uncontained refuse collection.
• They were least satisfied with traffic movement and public transportation.
• The top service priorities for respondents were police, fire, parks, street repair/maintenance and public transportation.
• The most frequently attended community events are Gilbert Days, events at Freestone Park, concerts in the Park, 4th of July and the rodeo.
• The most frequently used parks are Freestone, Cosmo Dog Park and the riparian preserves.
• More than 90 percent said they feel safe.