Florence Community Survey

Florence officials are pleased to announce they will be conducting a comprehensive quality of life survey which began May 20th. The survey was originally available to randomly selected residents, who will receive a mailed invitation to participate.

As of June 10th, the 2024 Community Survey is open to anyone who wishes to participate. Click one of the links below to take the survey now through July 1st. 

• English:  https://polco.us/florence24en
• Spanish: https://polco.us/florence24sp

“We have been hoping to conduct a community survey for several years and we’re very excited to be kicking the survey off this month,” says Mayor Rob Ward. “This survey will help the Florence City Council and staff to hear from a cross section of voices in our community, and use that information in our continuous efforts improve the quality of life in Florence. We are excited to hear what the community has to say and encourage members of our community to participate.”

City staff have been working with Polco, an independent consultant and civic engagement company, to develop the survey. The instrument, known as The National Community Survey™, allows the City of Florence to compare results and benchmark residents’ opinions against other communities across the country. The survey will include questions about quality of life, important characteristics of community, services provided by in Florence, and priorities for the future. The survey will be available online in English and Spanish.

The City of Florence Mayor and City Council members encourage all residents to participate in this survey. While the City is asking City of Florence residents to complete the survey, it is also the City’s hope to hear from residents in the urban growth boundary and the greater community. In the survey, you will be asked to indicate your residential location and whether you are a resident inside the City limits. Our entire community cares about quality of life in Florence and we want to hear from as many people as possible. 

Residents with questions about the survey may contact the City of Florence by phone at 541-997-3437, by email at cityrecorder@ci.florence.or.us, or by visiting www.ci.florence.or.us.

Project Timeline

May 20th: A survey invitation with a unique link (please do not share the link) will be mailed out to a random sample of residents so be on the lookout! If you are randomly picked to participate, we appreciate your prompt feedback. 

June 10th: An Open Participation survey will launch for all residents and businesses to participate. Check back to the City of Florence web page for the link.

July 1st: Open Participation survey closes.

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About The National Community Survey™ (The NCS™): The NCS™ is a collaborative effort between National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) . The survey and its administration are standardized to assure high quality research methods and directly comparable results across The NCS communities. The NCS captures residents’ opinions within the ten central facets of a community (Economy, Mobility, Community Design, Utilities, Safety, Natural Environment, Parks and Recreation, Health and Wellness, Education, Arts, and Culture and Inclusivity and Engagement).

The survey centers on community livability and includes questions about the quality of life in Florence, demographics, rating of local government services, and residents’ use of services. Polco’s highly skilled team of social science researchers, with extensive experience and insight into local government, will provide the City with comparative data from other local governments across the country. Data from the survey will assist the Mayor, City Council, and staff to make operational, strategic, budgetary, and policy decisions.

About Polco: Polco was developed to quickly deploy and analyze surveys online, providing the agility to gather critical information from community stakeholders throughout the nation. They have created tools for governments, economic development organizations and nonprofits to measure community livability. Respondents to The NCS are asked to join the City’s Polco panel to see the survey results and continue to engage with the city on future research.