Are you Satisfied With Life in New Port Richey?

New Port Richey officials are planning to send to residents a survey that asks whether residents are satisfied with city services and the quality of life here.

Officials say that survey results will help city leaders determine priorities and make wise budget decisions.

"Believe me, there's going to be a lot of ways that this is going to help out," City Manager John Schneiger said. 

The city paid a consultant $6,000 to help prepare the survey and analyze the results. The consultant is John Daly, president of Creative Insights and director of public administration at the University of South Florida.

The survey is to be mailed out to randomly selected recipients, including 1,154 of the city’s 7,200 households.

The city hopes to get at least 400 responses. The last day responses will be accepted is Feb. 7. Daly will analyze them and present them to the council in March.

The last time the city completed a survey like this was in 2004.

City council members expressed concern that at 5 pages, the survey is too long, and wording is too complex. Lisa Fierce, development director, said the survey will be pared down.

The survey won't be availabe online, Fierce said, but it will also be available in English and Spanish for pickup at City Hall. Fierce said surveys will be mailed next week.

Accordng to a draft survey, issues residents will be asked to weigh in on include:

• How satisfied are you with services provided by police, code enforcement, fire and emergency staff, the public works department and the parks and recreation service?
• How satisfied are you with the appearance of the city’s buildings and streets?
• How satisfied are you with traffic and stormwater treatment and water and sewage utilities in the city?
• The city needs to increase taxes or fees or cut services due to the economy. How strongly do you support or oppose an increase?
• How satisfied are you with the overall image of the city? How about the quality of cultural activities and events?
• How satisfied do you feel with the value you get for your tax dollars?
• Do you think redevelopment is a critical issue in the city? Do you think the city should annex properties, revise land use regulations, provide more economic opportunities and market itself better?
• Think New Port Richey should subsidize services provided to support special events?
• How safe do you feel in city parks, neighborhoods, downtown or in other business areas?
• How bad do you think crime, drugs, gangs and other public safety issues are in the city?
• Where do you get information about the city?
• Do think the city is a good place to live, work, start a business, raise a family or retire? 
• Do you think the New Port Richey city government is transparent? Do you think it values public input? Is it a good steward of the environment?