Quality of Life Among the Highest in Eagan

Quality of Life in Eagan Among Highest in Metro

Ratings of Eagan by Eagan residents continue to climb according to 2008 residential survey results compiled by an independent opinion research firm. For instance, 98 percent of Eagan residents polled rate the quality of life as excellent or good. That’s up three points from 2005 numbers and the 54 percent who say the quality of life is excellent place Eagan among the top four communities in the metropolitan area, says Dr. Bill Morris of Decision Resources, Ltd.

There were other stellar numbers too:
93% said Eagan is headed in the right direction, tops in the metro area
97% said existing recreational facilities meet their household needs and 98% said current recreational programs meet their needs, the highest figure in the metro area.
The ratings for police protection were also tops in the metro area with a 93% positive ranking, and as a whole four out of five people surveyed ranked all city services positively, placing Eagan in the top quartile in the metro area. The more citizens had interactions with city staff, the higher the rankings were.
The job approval rating for the City Council (at 88%) was a five point increase from 2005 and the highest anywhere in the metro area.
Taxes and growth were the most serious issues cited by citizens. 40% felt city property taxes were somewhat or very high, while 43% felt taxes were about average or somewhat low. However, if one looks back to surveys since 2002, there has been a 14 point drop of those who would favor a tax increase if it were necessary to maintain city services, so today 44 percent would favor a tax increase if it were necessary to maintain city services and 41 percent would oppose an increase.
Another sign of the economy was the answer to a first-ever question of whether residents are aware of a home in their neighborhood with a foreclosure. 16% were aware of a neighborhood foreclosure.
“We’re proud of the extremely positive ratings Eagan residents have of Eagan city services and our great personnel,” said Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire, “while at the same time it is clear there is anxiety over the economy and taxes. That’s why we’ve made budget cuts this year and Eagan spending remains the lowest per capita of any Minnesota city with more than 50,000 residents.” Other data will help the City Council as it considers economic development goals. For instance:
Residents want a Super Target and more clothing stores.
They want to attract more family sit-down restaurants, any ethnic restaurant and an upscale fine dining restaurant.
86% cite the importance of world class Internet speeds and access and 70% support city involvement in upgraded broadband access and services.
81% say it is at least somewhat important to purchase additional land for preservation.
88% say it is important to keep undeveloped land for business expansion.
“The data will help us in a variety of ways to set priorities, measure progress and target areas for improvement,” said City Administrator Tom Hedges. For instance, in the 2005 survey while 95% rated the quality of life as excellent or good, the City looked hard at the 5% who didn’t. It turned out that new residents and those who lived in apartments rated the city less favorably. Eagan instituted the Showcase Eagan event to target new residents and connect them up with community groups and city services. This time Eagan saw a 3 point increase in favorable ratings. The survey was conducted in September. 400 randomly selected residents in all parts of the city were scheduled for phone interviews, some taking more than an hour to share their feelings on survey topics. The results are accurate to +/- 5 percentage points. View the survey results presentation watch a video of the presentation as given at the City Council Meeting.

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