Park District Lags Behind Nearby Towns In Resident Satisfaction

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — At a special meeting Tuesday, The Park District of Highland Park unveiled the results of its first community survey since 2013. The polling found residents hold the park district in generally high esteem, but they gave more positive scores to its facilities and events than the agency itself and its overall value.

The most notable gap between community demand and available service from the district was adult programming, especially for "empty nesters," seniors and active adults. They often feel the park district is no longer relevant to them, according to the assessment's conclusions.

The survey's findings (see below) will help guide the district's future priorities during reviews of its strategic plan and master plan, according to a statement from staff. District policy calls for a comprehensive needs assessment once every six years, at least.

"It has been six years since the Park District’s last community survey and five years since the approval of GreenPrint 2024, the Park District’s master plan," said Board President Brian Kaplan. "Since that time, the Highland Park community has experienced changes that warrant an updated needs assessment."

The most notable gap between community demand and available service from the district was adult programming, especially for "empty nesters," seniors and active adults. They often feel the park district is no longer relevant to them, the assessment found.

When asked their overall opinion of the district on a 0-10 scale, residents gave the PDHP an average rating of 7.6, with 38 percent of respondents rating it in the highest regard. That's above the state average of 7.2 and 36 percent of respondents awarding a 9 or 10 rating. But it lags behind results from the Glenview Park District, the Northbrook Park District and a benchmark calculated from scores of other North Shore agencies, which had an average of an 8.3 esteem rating and 59 percent of respondents holding it in the highest regard.

When asked to estimate the share of their property tax bill that goes to the park district, more than five out of six respondents offered one. Of them, 56 percent provided estimates at or below the 6.91 percent of most taxpayers' bills collected for the district last year. That came out to $12.6 million, comprising less than 58 percent of the district's revenue.

After being told the park district collects about 6 percent of property taxes, participants in the survey were asked to think about what the district provides and rate its overall value on a 0-10 scale. The average value score was 6.9. People who had lived in Highland Park for fewer than 10 years and women rated the district's value for tax money highest. Those who have spent between one and three decades living — and paying property taxes — in the city, men and people who do not use park district facilities gave the district its lowest value-for-money ratings.

Playground improvements at Sunset Woods Park and renovations to West Ridge Center were the two capital improvement projects most favored by residents. The survey found 28 percent of respondents picked the park's playground and tot lot as the top priority, while 22 percent selected improvements to the community center.

The top programming priority for residents was programs for active adults over age 55, which had support from 15 percent of those asked.

The survey asked residents to explain any dissatisfaction with park district staff. Of the 156 responses received, 45 percent cited a district policy or rule, 26 percent mentioned the service or staff response and 29 percent attributed it to a combination of both.

When asked to provide any comments or suggestions, nearly half of respondents provided feedback. The most frequent comments concerned administration or management issues, which was brought up by 22 percent of them.

According to a summary of the survey's conclusions, the district should continue to show residents it is a good steward of taxpayer money:

Residents are quick to recognize the great parks, facilities, and events that the District provides, but give less positive scores for the agency overall and the value it represents. Some of this “drag” on the PDHP’s image or brand comes from long-held opinions of waste and mismanagement, including decisions and events from around ten years ago. Roughly 5% to 8% consistently cite this concern, and is one of the top drivers for lower ratings. These sentiments are sometimes coupled with general concerns about property taxes, and those who oppose any tax increase and expect agencies to do more with the same (or less).

The poll was conducted between May 17 and June 23 by aQity Research, an Evanston-based polling company. The firm, whose founder specializes in needs assessments for park districts, guaranteed a statistically reliable survey with at least 800 responses for about $30,000, according to the board.

The firm mailed surveys to a random sample of park district residents before sending postcards as a reminder to encourage those selected to fully participate. Residents were able to take the survey online, by phone or by mail — the preferred method for three quarters of respondents. The sample was weighted to match the latest Census data for the city.

More: Slides from survey presentation from aQity Research and Insights presented at the Aug. 6, 2019, meeting of the Park District of Highland Park Board of Commissioners

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