Crime, recycling among topics in Sioux Falls quality of life survey

Thousands asked for opinions on services, satisfaction

(Christopher Reistroffer / Reistroffer Design)

Three thousand Sioux Falls households have been selected to participate in this year’s National Community Survey, a thorough six-page questionnaire that solicits residents’ attitudes and opinions about quality of life in Sioux Falls.

Residents who receive a survey are evenly distributed among City Council districts to give policymakers a broad sample of opinion. On Oct. 27, the survey will be opened to every resident in the city.

“We usually get around a 20 percent participation rate,” Dave Bixler, a budget analyst for the City Council, said of the survey that’s sent out in odd numbered years.

This year, both the mayor’s administration and the City Council had a hand in drafting questions, Bixler said. The questions ask residents to rate their satisfaction with just about every aspect of life in South Dakota’s largest city. There are perceptions about crime, satisfaction with transportation, parks, bike trails, and opportunities to volunteer or appreciate the arts.

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