A resident survey is part of Cincinnati's budget process for the first time

Cincinnati City Council will consider a new form of public input when deciding the city budget this year. For the first time, the city surveyed a sample of residents representative of the overall city population.

Director of Performance and Data Analytics Eric Jameson says the city has surveyed residents before, but never with a specific focus on budgeting.

"Our aim was to capture residents' top priorities for funding city services, programs and facilities, and understand where residents have unmet needs to determine high impact areas for investment," Jameson told a City Council committee Monday.

Residents identified their top priorities for funding. These are the top five:

1. Resident and community safety
2. Transportation and pedestrian infrastructure/maintenance
3. Neighborhood cleanliness and beautification
4. Housing development and affordability
5. Public health and mental health services

This information was combined with how well respondents reported these needs are being met for a combined score determining high priorities for the next city budget.

"Improvements in these areas are likely to have a positive impact on the greatest number of households," Jameson explained.

That list looks a little different:

1. Resident and community safety
2. Neighborhood cleanliness and beautification
3. Housing development and affordability
4. Transportation and pedestrian infrastructure/maintenance
5. Nuisance removal and enforcement efforts

Read more about the survey and results below (article continues after):

Within each priority category, residents were asked to rank more specific priorities.

For resident and community safety, residents identified:

1. Alternative response to crisis and non-violent incidences
2. Pedestrian safety measures throughout the city
3. Increased visibility of patrol officers

For neighborhood cleanliness and beautification, residents identified:

1. Cleanup of trash and litter in public spaces
2. Planting trees/maintenance of roadside landscaping
3. Increasing urban gardens/greenspaces

For housing development and affordability, residents identified:

1. Affordable housing development
2. Homeownership opportunities
3. Supply of housing

For transportation and pedestrian infrastructure and maintenance, residents identified:

1. Filling potholes on city streets
2. Fixing sidewalks
3. Rehabilitation of city streets

"Keep in mind that this survey was conducted in early November into December, so not necessarily prime pothole season," Jameson said. "So it is possible, perhaps likely, that we would have seen an even higher response rating for these top three choices had the survey been conducted more recently."

For nuisance removal and enforcement efforts, residents identified:

1. Efforts to address homeless encampments
2. Demolish vacant structures deemed a nuisance
3. Traffic and speeding enforcement

City Council is in the early stages of preparing the next city budget. A final version must be approved by the end of June.

Read more:

• Council is starting the months-long city budget process. Here's how you can weigh in
• Council approves money for new vehicles, but maybe not snowplows
• Cincinnati Council approves new regulations for vacant buildings