TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH:
FROM: Keith Stahley, City Manager
SUBJECT:
title
Status update on poll of likely voters and work plan to understand our community’s priorities for City services.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Good Governance.
end
SUMMARY:
summary
On July 15, 2024, Salem City Council received the Revenue Task Force recommendations in a Work Session. Council continued the conversation at their August 19, 2024 Work Session, and considered questions of building community trust, understanding and support for City services and programs, whether to poll our community about their priorities for support, the scope of the problem, and whether to develop a work plan and budget to engage the community about the services they value, their priorities, and the current funding environment. On August 27, 2024, City Council approved a four step work plan and budget to better understand our community’s priorities for City services.
end
ISSUE:
Receive information update on poll of likely voters and work plan to understand our community’s priorities for City services.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information only.
body
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
At the August 19, 2024 Work Session, Council had further conversation about next steps for work completed by the Revenue Task Force. At discussion prompts throughout the conversation, Council shared their perspectives about: what they learned from the last year, areas of agreement, priority for polling, and how to engage the community to advance the work ahead. Council also reviewed pros and cons for options to bring a proposal to voters.
The group reached consensus around the priority for polling, interest in furthering community engagement on priorities for potential future funding, and about preparing a work plan to conduct a third-party validation of the financial forecast, examine performance and spending in priority program areas, and provide more visibility to the performance auditing work the City has done to-date.
The initial work plan includes:
1. Poll community on priorities and preferences for future possible funding. Council authorized a poll of likely voters, funded by replacing budget authority for an annual community satisfaction survey with a poll specific to this question of community priorities and preferences for possible future funding.
This poll was conducted September 10 through September 16, 2024. The survey was administered in both Spanish and English, and captured responses from 400 residents via phone, both cell and land lines, with an option to do the survey on-line. To achieve a representative sample of likely voters in a special election of an odd numbered year, quotas were set for gender, age, ward, and political affiliation. Results of the poll (Attachment 1) will be reviewed in detail at the City Council’s October 21, 2024 Work Session.
2. Update and share performance auditing portfolio. The City Council’s Finance Committee is developing a prioritized set of services for performance auditing and assessment, internal auditing, efficiency and effectiveness assessment for as many as three additional City programs or functional areas before June 30, 2025. The first priority, an Enterprise Leadership Performance Audit was advanced by the Finance Committee at their September 15, 2024 meeting and is underway.
3. Validate financial forecasting methodology. At their October 21, 2024 meeting, the Finance Committee considers the scope for an independent third-party consultant to validate the five-year financial forecast methodology and outcomes. The scope is likely to include: (a) a review of factors and assumptions used to calculate the forecast and test for reasonability; (b) analysis of position costing and forecasting; (c) ensure best practices for government financial forecasting is followed; and (d) determine if the result displayed in the financial forecast is realistic and feasible. Funding for this work will result from re-prioritized FY 2024 work within the Finance Group.
4. Advance community engagement. City Council authorized up to $10,000 to begin development of communication materials and information to begin a dialogue with the community on the services provided by the City of Salem and to learn about the community’s priorities for these services. With support of a communications and engagement consulting firm, staff are developing materials for in-person presentations and community discussions, tabling and outreach materials, increased communications via the newsletter (Community Connect) and an informal, qualitative survey designed to solicit public interest in the City of Salem, build our list of community contacts and provide us with information on community priorities and perspectives.
BACKGROUND:
In 2023, the City Council held multiple work sessions on continuing General Fund services and forming a Revenue Task Force. On January 22, 2024, Salem City Council approved the slate of 25 members and two alternates for the Revenue Task Force. The Task Force met seven times; considered feedback from eight focus groups, three town halls, and a statistically valid survey; and advanced recommendations to the City Council concerning revenue options to support City services funded by the General Fund. The Task Force recommendations to sustain vital City services were presented at the City Council Work Session on, July 15, 2024.
Courtney Knox Busch
Chief Strategy Officer
Attachments:
1. City of Salem Levy Survey, DHM Research