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2025 Smithville citizen survey shows strong safety and parks ratings, flags declines in utilities and maintenance
Summary
ETC Institute told the Smithville Board on March 3 that a 2025 citizen survey (323 responses) shows high satisfaction with safety, parks and solid waste but identifies declines in water/sewer, traffic flow and community planning that staff will use to shape strategic planning and communications.
Robert Heacock of ETC Institute presented the results of the City of Smithville’s 2025 Citizen Survey to the Board of Aldermen on March 3, saying the survey collected 323 responses with a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of 5.2%.
The survey found particularly strong ratings for solid waste service (85% satisfied), police services (78%), and customer service from city employees (72%). Public safety stood out as a major strength: 80% of respondents said they were satisfied with local police protection, 98% said they felt safe in their neighborhoods during the day and 93% reported feeling safe overall in Smithville. Parks and recreation also scored highly, with park maintenance at 88%, walking and biking trails at 85% and city trails at 83%.
At the same time, ETC highlighted downward trends since 2018 in several areas, notably water and sewer utilities, traffic flow and community planning, and specific park amenities such as playground equipment and public restrooms. Maintenance services showed declines for major city streets and water/wastewater systems. "Smithville is a community where residents feel safe, enjoy high-quality city services and take pride in their city's image and quality of life," the survey summary states, while noting opportunities for improvement.
Cynthia Wagner, speaking for city staff, thanked ETC for the presentation and said staff will review department-level data and open-ended survey responses to identify focus areas. Wagner said the survey results will be incorporated into the city’s strategic planning process already budgeted for the year, and staff will return with recommendations on communications methods (including newsletter distribution) and departmental follow-up. "This information will be taken into consideration as the budget process moves forward," Wagner said.
The board did not take formal action on the survey at the work session; staff will present more-detailed findings and recommendations to the board in coming months.
