Pittsboro, NC – On January 14, 2022, Chatham County staff presented results of the 2021 Biennial Resident Satisfaction Survey to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners at their annual Budget Retreat in Pittsboro. The feedback from residents was positive with the county earning an overall GPA of B+.
However, the survey did reveal that citizens felt that the county needed to work on providing better value for the taxes they paid. The county government only earned a C+ in this area.
The random phone survey of 401 Chatham County residents over age 18 was conducted October 30 – December 5, 2021. It consisted of about 40 core questions and related sub-questions regarding satisfaction about Chatham County as a place to live and work, ways people get information on county government, and feedback on services and how well staff provided them. Participants also were asked open-ended questions to get more detail where low marks were given and to gain insight on the most pressing or challenging issues facing Chatham County.
The 2021 results were very positive overall with more than half of the grades in the A-B range. The services offered by all the county departments examined in the survey earned a B+, and the overall grade for county staff was an A-.
The Register of Deeds Office (1st) and Library System (2nd) continue to be the highest rated departments. The biggest improvement was for the Water Utilities Office (9th to 6th). The largest decline was for the Planning Department (5th to 9th).
The following areas were named as the most pressing issues or challenges facing Chatham County in 2021:
1. Controlling rapid growth/development
2. Water issues
3. Nothing/can’t think of anything
4. High taxes
5. Not sure
6. Infrastructure issues with growth
7. Chatham Park concerns
8. Improve schools/education
9. Affordable housing
10. Traffic
The results of the 2021 Biennial Resident Satisfaction Survey, along with previous surveys, can be found online at chathamcountync.gov/biennialsurveys.