Every two years, the City of Meridian conducts a Citizen Survey to gather insights from our community about city services and the issues that matter most to residents. This year, the survey was administered by ETC Institute, a national market research firm that specializes in local government surveys. The questions focused on the quality of services the City of Meridian provides and our service partners, covering areas such as public safety, parks and pathways, our emerging downtown, and transportation needs.

I am pleased to share that 88 percent of respondents believe Meridian is a good or excellent place to live and raise a family, and they feel safe in our vibrant community. Remarkably, the City of Meridian scored above the U.S. average in 32 of the 33 assessed areas. While national publications often highlight Meridian, it’s encouraging to know that our residents share this positive perspective.

The survey results reflect the dedication of our employees and the services they provide. It's not just about what we do, but how we do it—the ‘Meridian Way.’ Satisfaction of customer service from city employees is 45% above the U.S. average. This commitment ensures that residents enjoy clean water, beautiful parks, safe neighborhoods, and an overall high quality of life. With over 80 percent of residents expressing satisfaction with the overall quality of life, these results affirm the consistent quality you expect from your city.

While I’m proud of our successes, I also recognize the importance of addressing areas for improvement. Residents once again identified roads/transportation, education, and growth as top priorities to work on, along with public safety which was listed as fourth on the list. These challenges have emerged in previous surveys and underscore the need for us to advocate for solutions with our Departments and alongside our partners. Residents are calling for better roads, improved intersections, enhanced facilities for biking and walking, and increased traffic enforcement as well as police presence.  Whether these issues fall directly under our purview or not, we must prioritize them and invest our resources accordingly.

Managing growth in Meridian is a complex challenge, especially as traffic from across the valley flows through our community. Development must be responsible, creating solutions rather than complications, while enhancing our quality of life. Addressing the impacts of growth will require strong collaboration with the State Legislature and local partners in transportation and education. As your Mayor, I am committed to working alongside stakeholders to implement innovative, proactive solutions.

Overall, the findings from the 2024 survey highlight the premier services we offer our residents. Thank you to everyone who participated; your feedback is invaluable as we plan for the future of Meridian. Those interested in reviewing the survey results, they can be found at www.meridiancity.org/citysurvey.

Our strong sense of community is what makes Meridian, and we are dedicated to exceeding your expectations. Together, we can tackle challenges and continue to move Meridian forward as the premier place to live, work, and raise a family.