Hartland in Hindsight #7- Citizen Surveys

Hartland wouldn’t be Hartland without the people living and working together to make it the community it is. For this reason, the Township has taken great care to involve the input of its residents and businesses in strategic planning decisions through regular citizen surveys.

Citizen surveys give residents a voice in the future of our community. While not all residents will seek out committee involvement or open mic time at township board meetings, citizen surveys are mailed to intentionally reach a wide variety of community members- newcomers and long-time residents, and people from many different demographics, to ensure many voices are heard.

Since 2012, Hartland has partnered with Cobalt Community Research to administer these citizen surveys and measure our resident’s satisfaction on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).  The ACSI is an economic indicator that measures the satisfaction of consumers across the United States. Survey participants answer a variety of questions pertaining to safety, businesses, family-friendly activities, housing affordability, and much more. Responses are compiled and a number score given for each metric. On every metric, Hartland outperforms other Michigan communities of similar size, and it has never been a surprise for those who live in Hartland to learn that the overall ACSI has consistently been nearly 20 points higher than other Michigan comparisons.

“Citizen surveys are beneficial because they provide data and feedback on what issues and services are most important to the citizens of Hartland,” says Hartland Project Coordinator Andrew Kumar. “The data collected from citizen surveys helps in strategic and long-term planning, while also determining how resources are allocated.  It is important to conduct these surveys regularly, as this feedback can change.”

Hartland Township established a benchmark for citizen satisfaction with its first survey in 2012, and subsequent surveys conducted in 2015 and 2019 have shown how the township has continued to  improve its ASCI score, and helped cast vision for future investments and projects.

With survey data, Hartland Township has been able to focus their efforts and spending on what our residents find most valuable. This has led to projects such as the Safer Roads plan, increased walkability through added sidewalks, and the completion of Heritage and Settlers Parks. And as we continue to better understand community values and priorities, we look to the future with a more effective and unified approach.

 Check the most recent survey results here: https://www.hartlandtwp.com/bc-trustees/page/surveys-and-studies