Public Participation

The survey consisted of 47 core questions with related subparts to several of the questions. Respondents were asked to rate the Town Government staff, Police Department, Fire Department, Parks & Recreation programs, streets/roads, perceptions of safety, quality of life, and solid waste/recycling services. The survey also examined other issues including information sources, tax rates, information dissemination, opportunities to participate in decision-making, citizen involvement barriers, new media usage, and potential internet-based services. Another series of questions examined Town Council focus areas in relation to issues such as keeping Cary best place to live, environmental protection, downtown revitalization, transportation, planning & development, and parks & recreation. The respondents were also asked actions that could improve dissatisfaction with these focus areas. There were questions examining new amenities/activities for downtown, farmer’s market, sustainable practices, plug-in vehicles, smart phones, internet access, and home telephone service. The respondents were primarily asked to use a 9-point scale. There were open-ended questions examining streets/roads and public areas needing attention and most important issues. The survey incorporated 9 demographic questions.

In January 2012, the Cary Biennial Citizen Survey was conducted examining numerous issues relating to the overall citizen satisfaction with the functioning and operation of the Town of Cary as well as current issues related to the Town. The results of this survey were followed-up by two focus groups conducted by BKL Research that examined specific issues from the survey in order to gather more detailed insight. Respondents to the citizen survey were asked if they would be willing to participate in a focus group session (35.5% of the sample agreed to participate) and this was the pool from which the participants were selected.