Fewer people are “satisfied” with life in Charles County, according to a recent survey, and fewer than the national average say they believe there are enough jobs that pay at least minimum wage or that they feel safe in the county.
At their March 19 meeting, the Charles County commissioners received an update from the county administration sharing key statistics that they found on how people perceive life in Charles County.
The county administration gathered the statistics through an entirely online poll in August through September last year, according to Doria Fleisher, the community engagement coordinator for the county.
Fleisher said it was a limiting factor that the poll was conducted online because the 754 individuals who filled out the survey were more likely to be already engaged with online communications.
The survey showed 41% of respondents said that they were satisfied with life in Charles County, down 11% from the last cycle of the biannual survey.
“One of the questions we asked was, ‘Would you want to have text messaging as a way to get information?’ and our responses were really low,” Fleisher said. “However, when we’re out in the community, we keep hearing, ‘When can I get text messaging?’”
“I’d say time,” Commissioner Gilbert “BJ” Bowling (D) said. “People like responses, but not at 3 o’clock in the morning.”
Other questions showed that only 26% of residents agree that Charles County government listens to their residents and is responsive to their concerns.
Another revealed that only 23% of residents agree that “things in Charles County are moving in the right direction.”
Analyzing various benchmarks, Charles County falls far behind the national average in sentiments regarding the availability of jobs that pay a living wage, a sense of overall safety, sense of community among residents, overall cleanliness and maintenance, availability of art and cultural events, and ease of the permit and zoning process.
The national average for people believing that there is an availability of jobs that pay a living wage is 43%, and Charles County sits at just 15%, according to the survey results.
Having a sense of overall safety in Charles County sits a 27%, while the national average is 59%.
“We can sit and be disappointed with this data or we can say we’ve got some work to do,” Fleisher said.
Fleisher echoed the words of Secretary of Housing and Community Development Jacob Day from his March 12 visit to Charles County, saying, “A lot of times, the government has earned every bit of its own reputation, and we have to take ownership of that.”
Fleisher suggested that the government be there to listen and learn instead of just saying, “We’re the government, and we’re here to help.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0