2023 Community Survey

About the 2023 Survey

The Village understands that responsive, equitable, high-quality local services and amenities are all part of why you continue to choose Glencoe as the place you call home. The Village's current Strategic Plan includes an initiative to “evaluate and implement community engagement initiatives to determine satisfaction with Village services and future community priorities.” Your ongoing satisfaction with the Village’s core services as well as your feedback on special projects and initiatives are important to the Village Board and staff as we plan for the future. Community surveys are an opportunity to help us better understand your satisfaction with and priorities for the Village organization and the Glencoe community.

The Village has now fielded three community surveys - in 2015, 2019 and most recently 2023. It goes without saying that the last three years, punctuated by our Village’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, required resources and services never anticipated in the past. Despite that, significant progress was still made toward addressing areas of need expressed in previous surveys. Just a few examples include the nearly $2.4 million in stormwater management investments made since 2019, as well as the improvements to neighborhood street lighting beginning in 2023. We hope these projects are illustrative of how your feedback can be translated into meaningful change in our community.

In addition to measures of customer satisfaction, the 2023 survey had several questions that were designed to provide direction as we consider updates to the Village’s Strategic Plan over the next few years. Specifically, questions about the Village’s efforts on environmental sustainability, the vitality of the downtown business district, community engagement and diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition to supporting our strategic planning process, survey results will support the work currently underway on the Village’s Comprehensive Plan titled, “All In, Glencoe” (visit allinglencoe.org to learn more and engage), as well as future operational planning. In short, your responses are critical as we seek to address the needs of our community.

Survey Results

In early 2023 the Village partnered with survey firm ETC Institute, Inc. (ETC) to administer the 2023 community survey. As background, the Village’s last two community surveys were conducted in 2015 and 2019, also by ETC; therefore, secondarily, this survey was designed as a benchmarking tool to measure improvements or declines in service area satisfaction levels.

At the July 20, 2023 Committee of the Whole meeting, staff presented an overview of the survey results to the Village Board. 542 households completed the survey which represents 17% of the Glencoe community. This response far exceeded the expected response rate and outpaces the average response rate at the regional and national levels. The Village has once again been awarded ETC’s "Leading the Way Award” which recognizes local governments that rank in the top 10% of all communities in the United States with regard to resident satisfaction with the overall quality of local governmental services, customer service, and the value provided for local taxes/fees.

New to the Village’s survey process this year was the creation of an interactive online data dashboard which shows the results of the 2023 survey benchmarked against the Village’s 2015 and 2019 surveys, as well as Plains region and nationwide standards. The community is encouraged to explore this new tool to better understand the satisfaction levels with Village services.

View complete results and other reports by following the links below:

• ETC 2023 Glencoe Survey Findings Report
• July 20, 2023 Village Board Report
• Link to the interactive survey data dashboard

Key Findings
Overall, the results of the survey reflected an overwhelmingly positive view of Glencoe and Village services, and feedback also highlights areas for further attention in the coming years. Of those that completed the survey, 99% rated Glencoe as an excellent or good place to live (49% over the U.S. average); and 98% rating the quality of life in Glencoe and Glencoe as a place to raise children as excellent or good. 97% of respondents rated satisfaction with overall Village services as excellent or good, which was a 5% increase compared to the 2019 results.  Of all the assessed areas, the top five that showed the most significant improvement between 2019 and 2023 include the Village’s social media (+21%), Village’s Board meeting web streaming (+21%), interactive Village GIS maps (+16%), Glencoe as a place to work (+15%) and presence of historic structures (+14%).

Satisfaction ratings improved or stayed the same in 102 of the 115 areas measured compared to the 2019 results. Although there were 13 areas with decreased satisfaction, 12 had an insignificant change (around -1%), and one area, traffic enforcement, had a change of -5%. Although these changes were small, they do warrant attention and will be considered as the Village evaluates its services and plans for the future.

Moving forward, results will be used to inform future Village budgets, and strategic and comprehensive plan discussions. In particular, results will be used internally with staff teams to discuss operational changes, opportunities for improvement and customer service standards.

Watch our infographic video for more survey highlights! 

Past Survey Results

Use the drop-down menus below to view the results of the last two community surveys conducted in 2015 and 2019.

2019 COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS

In the fall of 2019, the Village partnered with survey administration firm ETC Institute to field a community survey to better understand the community’s satisfaction with core Village services and to gain insight into the community’s priorities relating to special projects and initiatives.

610 households responded to the survey, representing approximately 18% of the Glencoe community. At the December 19, 2019 Village Board meeting, staff provided the Board with an initial overview of survey results. View complete results and other information below:

• ETC 2019 Glencoe Survey Findings report
• December 19, 2019 Village Board report

2015 COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS

In the fall of 2015, the Village asked for feedback about satisfaction with Village services and future priorities in our 2015 Community Satisfaction Survey. 608 households –19 percent of all in the Village – completed the survey, providing the Village with invaluable input. View complete results and other information related to the 2015 Community Survey here:

• 2015 Community Satisfaction Survey Report