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2026 community survey: residents praise public safety but flag health, housing and engagement
Summary
City staff presented the 2026 National Community Survey results showing high resident ratings for fire and police services, parks and events but low scores for health care access, housing affordability and planning. The staff report noted 414 completed surveys (about 14% response) and recommended using additional tools (Zen City) to broaden engagement.
Lake Havasu City staff presented results of the 2026 National Community Survey at the April 28 council meeting, reporting 414 completed responses from an initial random mailing to 3,000 addresses and follow-up outreach. Staff characterized the survey as a benchmarking tool that allows comparison with other U.S. cities.
Mr. Kozlowski summarized key findings: public safety, city governance, parks and community events scored strongly, with fire-service quality improving nine percentage points since the last survey. Areas scoring low included utilities affordability, access to health and mental-health care, planning and the availability of quality housing. On sample composition, staff noted the mailed sample skewed toward homeowners and older respondents; results are weighted, and staff said they are exploring additional outreach through a platform called Zen City to broaden participation.
Respondents answered several custom questions. According to staff: 52% said the city should limit the percentage of a front yard used for parking; among that group, 58% supported limiting that area to 25%. Sixty-one percent supported collaborating with downtown businesses on the arch project; 72% said there is a need for a new community center; and 84% favored commercial air service in the community. On the question of purchasing shoreline or island property for public access, staff said more information would be required before respondents could make an informed choice.
Councilmembers pressed staff on sampling and question design. Councilmember Nancy Campbell said the governance metrics were a concern and urged the council "to work harder to be more respectful" and to improve resident engagement. Vice Mayor David Diaz cautioned that while the city scores well against national benchmarks, "we don't want to chase mediocrity. We want to be the best we can be." Councilmembers asked staff to investigate whether certain traffic-signal upgrades could include reflective back plates while projects are underway; staff said that would likely be pursued via grant funding or additional procurement.
Public commenters critiqued the survey sample and question framing. Resident Emiliano Torres said the responses were dominated by older homeowners and suggested asking citizens about concrete trade-offs (for example, specific tax-dollar impacts) to elicit more meaningful answers. Bonnie Toy urged the council to consider agenda-format changes—she and others said some residents prefer the call-to-public at the beginning of meetings so comments can influence consent items.
Staff said full survey results and benchmarking slides are available on the city website and reiterated plans to use alternative engagement tools to expand participation in future surveys. Council directed staff to return with follow-up information as appropriate.
