UNF Poll Shows Jacksonville City Council Has Room for Improvement

Media Contact: Sharon Ashton, Assistant Vice President of Public Relations 

Department of Public Relations 

(904) 620-2115 

UNF Poll Shows Jacksonville City Council Has Room for Improvement  

            A new University of North Florida poll reveals that 48 percent of adult residents of Duval County approve of the job that the Jacksonville City Council is doing. In conjunction with this support, residents are quite satisfied with a number of facets of the City of Jacksonville. Topping the list, 77 percent of respondents are especially satisfied with opportunities to enjoy arts and cultural activities, and respondents are very satisfied—73 percent—with the quality, cost and availability of parks and open spaces in Jacksonville. Sixty percent of respondents were satisfied with the hours and quality of the Duval County Public Libraries, while 67 percent were satisfied with the quality of the physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges and public buildings in the city.  

            Contrary to this overwhelming satisfaction, residents aren’t as enthusiastic when it comes to paying higher taxes in order to maintain the parks, libraries, arts culture and physical infrastructure. Only 39 percent of the respondents were willing to support a small tax increase in order to support the arts; libraries didn’t fare much better, with only 40 percent of respondents willing to support a tax increase. Parks and infrastructure fared slightly better, with 52 percent and 50 percent support respectively.  

            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. 

Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Jacksonville City Council is handling its job? 

How satisfied are you with the quality of the physical infrastructure (roads, bridges, public buildings) in Jacksonville? 

Do you support or oppose a half-cent sales tax increase if those taxes go to maintaining and improving infrastructure? 

How satisfied are you with the hours and quality of the Duval County public libraries? 

Do you support or oppose a small increase in property taxes if those taxes go to maintain and improving the libraries? 

How satisfied are you with opportunities to enjoy arts and cultural activities in Jacksonville? 

Do you support or oppose a small increase in property taxes if those taxes go to supporting the arts? 

How satisfied are you with the quality, cost, and availability of parks and open spaces in Jacksonville? 

Do you support or oppose a half-cent sales tax increase if those taxes go to maintaining and improving parks and open spaces? 

Demographics Questions: 

What is your age? Is it: 

What is your racial or ethnic background?  Is it: 

Are you a registered Democrat, Republican, No Party Affiliation or are you not registered to vote? 

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