Allegan County officials and several non-profit partner agencies have hired a national survey organization to gauge residents’ views on the state of the county and services available to residents.

The county and partner agencies are mailing survey forms using the services of the National Research Center, Inc., which has conducted similar surveys for other local governments across the nation, including Jackson County in Michigan. The survey became available online to county residents on July 18, 2022.

“Entering the third decade of the 21st century, Allegan County faces new challenges from a growing population”, said Jim Storey, Chair of the Allegan County Board of Commissioners. “This has become especially heightened in recent years, which is what had prompted the county and area agencies to look at conducting another Community Survey.”

The National Research Center, Inc. is using The National Community Survey, a tool created in 2001 with the help of the International City/County Management Association. The National Community SurveyTM was modified to reflect local Allegan County conditions. The survey was last conducted in 2019.

The survey asks residents to answer questions about the quality of life in Allegan County, local policies, demographics, rating of local services, and residents’ use of services. The information gathered will be used to help partner agencies identify how to best use the resources provided to the county’s residents in future planning.

“The county has progressively developed an ongoing strategic, operational, and financial planning process. The addition of the National Community Survey in 2019 was extremely valuable in engaging the public into the process”, said County Administrator Robert Sarro. “I look forward to incorporating the new results into the County’s current plans.”

All residents are invited to complete the online survey, which is open to the public through Aug 1. In addition, 2,800 households were mailed the survey and are encouraged to respond using the information provided in the mailing. The households were chosen based on a representative sample of Allegan County’s population.

“In addition to the traditional means of gaining information, the survey will help inform the county and partner agencies of the views of current residents, said Storey. “Residents are really encouraged to leave honest feedback which will help us identify areas for growth and improvement, while looking out for opportunities.”

Partner agencies involved with the project include United Way, Allegan County Community Action, the Allegan Area Educational Services Agency, and OnPoint, formally Allegan County Community Mental Health.

The survey is available online by visiting: https://polco.us/allegan22open.
Residents with questions about the survey may call the county at 269-686-5150.