Monday, April 13, 2009

Community survey sheds light on what residents are thinking

Residents of Elizabethtown and its surrounding municipalities gave the northwestern area of Lancaster County high marks in a survey conducted last fall as part of a strategic comprehensive plan for the region.

The communities -- Conoy Township, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy Township and West Donegal Township -- conducted the community survey to determine public opinion on a wide range of local issues. Elected officials and administrative staff from each municipality will use the results to put the comprehensive plan together, which will guide planning efforts and priorities for the area for the foreseeable future.

You can find the full report on Elizabethtown's website. Although not scientific, the survey does shed light on what residents in the area are thinking.

Overall, more than 90 percent of residents said the quality of life in the Elizabethtown area is "good" or "excellent." Despite more than 31 percent who said taxes are very high, other numbers bear out the quality of life:
  • 83 percent rated the schools in the Elizabethtown Area School District as either excellent, very good or good.
  • 74 percent rated police protection as either excellent or good.
  • 87 percent rated fire protection as either excellent or good.
  • 84 percent rated the libraries as either excellent or good.
Speaking as one member of Borough Council, and only one elected official in this region, I am proud that our community recognizes the efforts we put forth on behalf of residents. At the same time, this does not mean we can sit back and relax. As I have indicated in other recent posts, much is happening in Elizabethtown, and we will be working hard to ensure that the community and region remains viable well into the 21st century.
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1 comment:

  1. Dr. Harl DelosApril 14, 2009 at 5:40 PM

    I don't mean to criticize E-town's librarians, but I wonder how many residents have lived somewhere where there actually were GOOD libraries.

    I don't have kids in school here; I have great-grand-kids, but they live in Iowa. Still, the quality of education affects me. A state with third-rate schools cannot afford second-rate libraries.

    In much of the US, libraries have their own millage. In Ohio, residents tend to support library taxes, even when other issues are being voted down, and as a result, a community the size of E-town would have a library comparable to the Duke Street library.

    I'm a senior citizen, living on a fixed income, albeit in Lancaster City rather than E-town. I can't afford to have my property go down in value. A deteriorating neighborhood invites crime, and I can't fight off street thugs like I might when I was 20. It's a lot easier to keep our neighborhoods in good shape than it is to rescue one that's gone down hill.

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