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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Contact:
Dotty
Tryk, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, 360-709-3063
Citizen
Priorities for Thurston County Government Report Done
OLYMPIA -- Thurston County Commissioners have
received the final report of a study of Citizen Priorities for Thurston County
Government. The study was
done in conjunction with the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center of
Washington State University (WSU). Also
involved was a citizen Leadership Committee made up of six county residents.
The purpose of the study was to gain perspective
on what programs and services Thurston County residents see as important to
preserve. Assistant Chief
Administrative Officer Dotty Tryk says the results of the study, which
included a telephone survey of 603 randomly selected households, will be
important to county government for 2006 and beyond.
“The county is facing some difficult decisions in upcoming budgets
because revenue cannot keep pace with increasing costs and rising demand for
services. That’s why it’s so
important for us to know which programs of county government are a priority
for citizens.”
Thurston
County Commission Chairman Diane Oberquell says commissioners are grateful for
all of the work that went into the study.
“We want to especially thank the hundreds of people who took the time
to respond to the telephone survey and the citizens who attended the three
community forums. We need a broad
range of input to help us meet the challenge of balancing our limited
financial resources with demand for the services we provide across Thurston
County.”
Results of the survey show that citizens feel all services currently
provided by county government are "somewhat
important" or "very important”. In fact, about
60% of the respondents said they would pay more for some county services,
although what those services might be was not specified.
However, when respondents were forced to make a choice (“Rank your
top three and your bottom three.”) some differences did come out.
Among the top rated were Law Enforcement, Emergency Services and Roads.
Among the lowest rated were Parks, Job Training and Stormwater/Surface
Water.
Leadership Committee member Linda Buckner says
the study process was a good one. “Committee
members were pleased to be asked to help out.
I think it has been very worthwhile to try a new way to get the
opinions of people who would probably not comment on county priorities under
the typical budget process.”
To view the Priorities of Government report in
it’s entirety, or to read an executive summary, people can visit the
county
web site
at http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/citizen-priorities/index.htm
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