City survey shows high overall satisfaction but highlights equity gaps for Black, younger and lower‑income residents

The Milwaukie City Council on July 20 received results of a citywide community survey that found broad overall approval of city services but notable gaps in satisfaction and confidence among Black residents, younger adults and lower‑income households.

Dr. Tanisha Tate Woodson, the survey project lead, told the council that the 500‑respondent, longitudinal survey shows about eight in 10 respondents approve of the quality of city services overall, but that “Black residents as well as those younger adults between the ages of 18 and 29 … consistently reported some of the lowest approval by a significant margin.” She said similar patterns appeared for residents who have lived in the city less than four years and for households earning under $60,000.

Those disparities showed up across questions about whether the city seeks resident input, how it spends tax dollars and confidence that city departments are delivering on core values like equity and accountability. Dr. Woodson said the survey also found that residents are more likely to engage when they see follow‑through: “20% said they would participate more when they feel there's some transparency in how decisions are being made, as well as when there is a follow‑through process,” she said.

Why it matters: Councilors said the results underscore how outreach methods and timing influence who participates in civic life. Several council members urged staff to consider multichannel outreach, bilingual formats and evening or weekend options to reduce barriers for people who work during typical meeting hours.

Key findings and recommendations: Dr. Woodson highlighted five priority recommendations for city staff: • Close the feedback loop so residents see how input is used and what changed because of it. • Diversify communication channels to reach different demographic groups (local TV and the city website polled high; email newsletters and blasts were less used). • Make participation more accessible through multilingual and hybrid options, and consider flexible scheduling. • Center housing affordability as an equity priority—13% of respondents listed housing as a top concern overall, with higher shares among Black respondents and renters. • Invest in public‑safety measures and street/infra improvements; safety (17%) and roads (14%) were commonly cited priorities.

Council discussion and next steps: Councilors asked for follow‑up on subgroup sample sizes (the 18–29 cohort was about 16% of the sample) and whether the city can add a youth (under‑18) engagement supplement; the council asked staff to return with a proposal for near‑term youth engagement, including non‑survey options such as focus groups or working with youth organizations. Staff agreed to report back with more detailed subgroup comparisons to prior surveys and to provide requested materials in the council packet.

The consultant noted some service areas that ranked highly for importance—libraries, water and sewer services, sidewalks and bike safety—and recommended the city include more accessible programming (weekend library hours, ebook/eaudiobook access) to reach residents with constrained schedules.

What’s next: Staff said the full survey report will be included in the meeting packet and that they will follow up with the council on the questions about historical comparisons and on a proposal to gather input from residents under 18.