How well does the government of Charlottesville meet the needs and expectations of its residents?

The overall quality of the services provided by Charlottesville as well as the manner in which these services are provided are a key component of how residents rate their quality of life. About 7 in 10 residents rated the overall quality of City services positively; this rating was similar to the national benchmark. Comparably, only 46% of respondents rated Federal Government services positively (which was also similar to the national benchmark).

Survey respondents also rated various aspects of Charlottesville’s leadership and governance. About 7 in 10 respondents gave excellent or good ratings to the customer service provided by City employees, and about 6 in 10 gave high marks to the overall direction of Charlottesville; both of these ratings were strong and similar to ratings in comparison communities. The remaining aspects of leadership and governance were all rated positively by a majority of respondents and were similar to the national benchmarks.

Respondents evaluated over 30 individual services and amenities available in Charlottesville. Aspects of Safety, including police, fire, and ambulance/EMS services received excellent or good ratings from about 3 in 5 or more respondents; all Safety services received ratings that were similar to the national benchmarks. It is noteworthy that ratings for crime prevention services increased between 2014 and 2016. Ratings in the facet of Mobility were generally strong and similar to the benchmarks. About half of respondents gave high marks to traffic enforcement, street cleaning, street lighting, sidewalk maintenance and bus or transit services. However, ratings for snow removal (49% excellent or good) were lower in Charlottesville than in other communities across the nation, and ratings for street repair and street cleaning services declined from 2014 to 2016. Almost all aspects of Natural Environment were rated positively by at least 6 in 10 respondents and were similar to the benchmarks; the only exception was yard waste pick-up (60% excellent or good), which was rated lower in Charlottesville than in other communities nationwide. Ratings for Built Environment-related services were strong and similar to ratings in comparison communities: ratings ranged from a low of 41% excellent or good (for cable television services) to a high of 83% (for Charlottesville’s power utility services.) About 8 in 10 respondents gave excellent or good ratings to all aspects of Recreation and Wellness, and ratings for health services were higher than the national benchmark. All services in the facets of Economy, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement were rated positively by a majority of residents and received ratings that were similar to ratings reported in other communities across the nation.