The City of Largo launched two city-wide surveys to gain insight on community livability and experiences with city services from Largo residents and business owners/managers.
- Largo contracted with Polco (Polco.us), a community engagement polling platform that partners with the Florida League of Cities and the International City/County Management Association to support this effort.
- The survey included questions related to 10 Facets of Community Livability: Economy; Mobility; Community Design; Utilities; Safety; Natural Environment; Parks & Recreation; Health & Wellness; Education, Arts, & Culture; and Inclusivity & Engagement.
- Residents and Business Owners/Managers were asked to provide rankings related to overall quality and importance as well as individual household experiences.
- These rankings were compared to results from Largo’s resident and business surveys conducted in 2021, as well as national benchmarks.
- Demographic questions were also included to determine who we heard from in our community based on location, age, income level, race/ethnicity, business size, business sector type, and other important factors.
The survey was open between November 15, 2023, and December 27, 2023, and was completed by 67 business owners/managers and 870 residents. These survey results are shared with team members across departments and city leadership to inform day-to-day operations as well as longer-term strategic planning.
Resident Main Takeaways:
- Residents identified the two following critical focus topics (reflects lower quality and high importance): safety and economy
- Residents identified the following top areas as challenges for their household currently: paying for food, finding affordable/quality food, lack of affordable/quality childcare.
- Residents identified the following areas as priority funding categories: investments in water and sewer, investments in housing, and economic aid for basic needs.
Business Owner/Manager Main Takeaways:
- Businesses identified the following critical focus topics (reflects lower quality and higher importance): safety and economy
- Businesses identified the following top areas as challenges for their business currently: decline in business/sales, shortage of skilled employees, difficulty paying commercial rent, mortgage or lines of credit.
- Businesses identified the following areas as priority funding categories: investments in water and sewer, economic aid to households for basic needs, investments in housing.
Please reach out to [email protected] or 727-587-6740 Ext. 7630 with any questions or to request a copy of the full reports. Sign up to receive updates on City events, programs, and services at Largo.com/LargoToday.
