Press Release: Residents say Ottawa County government is doing things right
Ottawa County, Michigan sent this bulletin at 06/14/2016 02:10 PM EDTJune 14, 2016
Residents report Ottawa County on the right track
Ottawa County is doing something right, according to a countywide public opinion survey released today. Eighty percent of residents said that Ottawa County operations are heading in the right direction, up from 73% in 2014. In 2010, just 52% of residents shared this view of the county.
Al Vanderberg commented, “We are delighted with the results. We have a great team of over 1,000 employees, elected officials and judges in Ottawa County who deserve credit for moving this organization to a whole new level. We are taking a moment today to relish in the good news. But then, we will get back to doing what we do: providing services that exceed our residents’ expectations in efficient and innovative methods.”
The county received high marks from residents on its fiscal responsibility, with 58% indicating it manages money well. An overwhelming majority (71%) reported their tax burden to be “about right” when considering the government services they receive.
Other findings:
- The proximity to natural water features and safe neighborhoods are cited most often as the best reasons to live in Ottawa County.
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Residents said that more needed to be done to:
- provide mental health services and
- to keep residents informed
- Parks and Recreation was listed as the service the county does best. [This was followed by snow removal, which incidentally, is not a service of Ottawa County Government.]
“I have a strong suspicion that the Four C’s Initiative had some impact on the results. The initiative began in 2012 and I believe we are starting to see the fruits of our labor, like the Disney Way trainings.” added Vanderberg.
The Ottawa County Four C’s Initiative will continue and includes pushes for customer service, communication, creativity and cultural intelligence.
This was the sixth in a series of biennial studies that began in 2006. The questionnaire, conducted by Epic-MRA, asked residents to rank government goals, handling of finances, perception of tax burden, as well as many other customer satisfaction sentiments.
Access county services and learn more at miOttawa.org, facebook.com/miottawa or @miOttawa on twitter.
Media Contacts:
- Al Vanderberg, County Administrator, 616-738-738-4068 avanderberg@miottawa.org
- Keith VanBeek, Deputy County Administrator, 616-738-4642, kvanbeek@miottawa.org
- Shannon Felgner, Communications Manager, 616-738-4672, sfelgner@miottawa.org