UNF Poll Reveals Economy is the No. 1 Concern for Duval County Residents

Media Contact: Joanna Norris, Associate Director 

Department of Public Relations 

(904) 620-2102 

A new University of North Florida poll reveals that 37 percent of adult residents of Duval County believe improving the economy and creating jobs should be Jacksonville’s top priority this year. One proposal that the county’s residents support is to add sexual orientation to the existing list of groups protected from workplace discrimination (58 percent). Second to the economy, improving the quality of public education was the next most important issue that residents thought the City of Jacksonville should tackle, with 24 percent of people believing it to be a top priority.  

Duval County residents aren’t satisfied (56 percent) with the quality of public education in Jacksonville.In conjunction with these findings, they believe that increasing the budget for public education would improve the quality of education (55 percent), and they also support a small increase in property taxes, if those taxes go towards public education (64 percent). Conversely, 43 percent of Duval County residents approve of the job that Nikolai Vitti, the new Duval County Superintendent, is doing and only 10 percent disapprove. As Vitti is new to the job, it’s not surprising that 40 percent of the respondents didn’t have an opinion of his performance. Mayor Alvin Brown still retains high support in Duval County, with 70 percent of the population approving of his job performance. 

The survey was conducted through the use of a 27-station telephone-polling laboratory at UNF. A polling sample was selected through the use of Random-Digit-Dialing methodology. A cell phone sample and an overlay sample were used to increase representation. Age, gender, race and party registration were weighted to the 2010 U.S. Census, as well as to statistics from the Supervisor of Elections for Duval County registered voters. 

The survey was conducted between Monday, Feb. 4, and Tuesday, Feb. 12, and includes 917 residents (+/- 3.23 percent) in Duval County. Approximately 210 UNF political science students participated in the data collection. 

Below are the full results. For further information or questions about methodology, contact Dr. Michael Binder, UNF assistant professor of political science, at (904) 620-1205 or m.binder@unf.edu. 

UNF, a nationally ranked university located on an environmentally beautiful campus, offers students who are dedicated to enriching the lives of others the opportunity to build their own futures through a well-rounded education.  

-UNF- 

*Data is weighted by age, gender, race, and party identification. 

In your opinion, what should be Jacksonville’s top priority this year? 

Do you support or oppose the City of Jacksonville adding sexual orientation to the existing list of groups protected from workplace discrimination? 

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Alvin Brown is doing as Mayor of Jacksonville? 

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Nikolai Vitti is handling his job as Duval County Superintendent of Schools? 

How satisfied are you with the quality of public education in Jacksonville? 

Do you think increasing the budget for public education will improve the quality of education in Jacksonville? 

Do you support or oppose a small increase in property taxes if those taxes go to public education? 

Demographics Questions: 

What is your age? Is it: 

What is your racial or ethnic background? Is it: 

What is the highest grade in school or year of college you have completed? 

What is your annual household income?  

Are we reaching you on a landline or a cell phone? 

Do you only have a landline, only have a cell phone, or do you have both a landline and a cell phone? 

What area of town do you live in? 

Respondent gender