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Survey shows Eldridge residents open to exploring new facilities but fall short of support for $32.9M bond
Summary
A Community Perceptions survey of 878 respondents presented to the Eldridge City Council found 58% support for exploring new city facilities and 45% definite/probable support for a $32.9 million bond; fire services ranked the highest community priority.
Scott Gerard of Community Perceptions presented results of a June 15 survey to the Eldridge City Council on July 6, saying the city received 878 responses, roughly a 30% response rate, with a margin of error of ±3.37 percentage points.
The most immediate finding: 58% of respondents said the city should explore building new facilities without a financial plan attached, which Gerard noted is within the survey’s margin of error of a commonly cited 60% threshold for bond referenda support. When asked whether they would support a $32,900,000 bond to fund the recommended plan, 45% said they definitely or probably would support it, while 41% said they would probably or definitely not, and 14% were undecided.
Why it matters: the figures give council members a baseline for public sentiment as staff and consultants discuss facility needs and potential ballot timing. Gerard emphasized that older residents were overrepresented in the survey — 48% of respondents were 65 or older — and that support tended to increase with age. He flagged a ‘‘bow-shaped’’ response in middle-age cohorts, with 35–54-year-olds appearing more financially squeezed.
Community priorities identified in the survey placed fire services highest with a priority score of 2.58 (on a 1–3 scale), followed closely by police. Gerard said 61% of respondents rated fire as a high priority. Respondents indicated a strong preference for mailed newsletters as the primary mode of receiving city information (50%), followed by the local newspaper, the North Scott Press.
Council members asked clarifying questions on demographics and turnout implications. Councilmember Jeff Ashcraft asked whether the dip in support among the 25–54 bracket reflected financial pressure; Gerard replied that the pattern matches trends seen in other communities and likely reflects households with children and competing expenses.
The council did not take any formal action on the bond at the meeting but agreed to discuss the survey results at an upcoming meeting and invited follow-up questions for Gerard. Council members said staff would outline next steps, including additional outreach and timeline options for a potential referendum.
