Liam, the council clerk, presented North Canton’s 2025 community survey results at the council meeting on Oct. 20, reporting 594 responses and summary statistics about residents’ views on services, communication and development.

Liam said, “We have 594 responses for this survey period, with a assumed confidence interval of 95%, with a 3% margin of error,” and noted that the sample skewed older: 86% of respondents were homeowners and 45% were age 55 or older.

Key findings presented by Liam included:
- Composite satisfaction with city services (mayor and council, fire/EMS, streets, snow removal and similar functions) at roughly 60% favorable.
- Fire, EMS and police consistently rated in the high 80s on satisfaction.
- When asked whether Main Street should be narrowed to allow on‑street parking, 87% of respondents opposed the change; 9% supported it and 4% had no opinion.
- In a hypothetical $10 prioritization exercise, street paving received the largest share of points (1,214 points), followed by playground improvements, pool maintenance and public safety; rental facility improvements received among the lowest support.
- A proposal to invest tax revenue to operate a city‑owned pool received 60% support, 25% opposed and 12% no opinion.

Liam and several council members noted response weaknesses and sampling limitations. The clerk said the survey period runs May to August and that Walsh University students are under‑represented because the survey fell during the university’s summer break; he said Walsh’s roughly 2,100 students contributed only nine survey responses (about 1% of total responses in the 18–24 age bracket). Liam and council members discussed options for reaching students during the academic year or doing a Walsh‑focused survey in even years.

Public commenters and council members raised concerns about the low overall response rate and asked how much the city would rely on the results. Resident Matt Robock said the low participation raised questions about whether the survey should drive major decisions; he urged “outside the box” outreach and better communication. Resident Ken McAdams asked whether a council member’s campaign flyer used an official city email address and said he may file a public‑records request to review related communications. Mayor Stryker and the deputy director praised the Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) for increasing public understanding of city functions and said the administration would consider program tweaks and additional outreach options.

Liam said the full survey report and dashboards will be posted on the city’s website and that the administration will review the survey methodology and outreach approach before the next survey in 2027.

Council discussion also touched on Main Street stakeholder efforts and a separate Main Street community initiative; a council member clarified that the Main Street effort is a stakeholder‑led revitalization initiative, with the city participating among other local businesses and organizations.