2027 Budget Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who shared feedback through the City of Kalamazoo's Community Budget Survey. 666 people participated, sharing their priorities for City services, issues they would like considered in the budget, and ideas for making City budget information more useful and accessible. The feedback will help City staff and the City Commission better understand community priorities as they develop and consider the City's budget.

What City services are most important to you?

Respondents could select up to three services. Because multiple selections were allowed, percentages total more than 100%.

City service	Percent	Responses
Public Safety (Police, Fire, EMS)	52.55%	350
Streets and Sidewalks	48.35%	322
Water and Sewer Services	41.44%	276
Parks & Recreation	35.89%	239
Economic Development	25.38%	169
Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Services	20.87%	139
Other	19.37%	129
Community Events	13.06%	87
Forestry Services	12.61%	84

Familiarity with Imagine Kalamazoo 2035

Respondents were asked about their familiarity with Imagine Kalamazoo 2035, the City's process to create a new Strategic Vision and Master Plan. Because multiple selections were allowed, percentages total more than 100%.

Response	Percent	Responses
I have heard of it	37.58%	245
I have been to the website	30.21%	197
I have provided input or attended a meeting	25.46%	166
I have not heard of it	24.69%	161

Interest in a More Interactive City Budget

Respondents were asked whether they would like the City's budget book to include more interactive features, such as charts, dashboards, and clickable sections.

Response	Percent	Responses
Yes, more interactive features	45.88%	295
No preference	36.08%	232
Keep it about the same	15.55%	100
Fewer interactive features	2.49%	16

City Residency

Respondents were asked whether they currently live in the City of Kalamazoo.

Response	Percent	Responses
Yes	76.73%	488
No	20.13%	128
I don't know/Unsure	3.14%	20

Respondents' Connection to Kalamazoo

Respondents could identify more than one connection to Kalamazoo, so percentages total more than 100%.

Connection	Percent	Responses
I live in the City	74.06%	471
I work in the City	38.68%	246
I visit the City	21.23%	135
Other	11.48%	73
I own a business in the City	8.49%	54

Open-ended Responses

Open-ended responses were reviewed for recurring topics. The themes below are intended to summarize the range of feedback received and are not a statistical classification of every comment. Responses sometimes reflected different views about how the City should approach the same issue. For example, comments about homelessness included both calls for expanded housing and support services and calls for increased enforcement or changes in how public spaces are managed.

Services or Programs Respondents Would Like to See Receive More Funding

553 respondents answered this question. Responses covered a wide range of City services and community needs.

Theme	What respondents mentioned
Housing and homelessness	Affordable housing, shelters, supportive services, homelessness prevention, and assistance for unhoused residents.
Public safety	Police, fire, EMS, traffic enforcement, crime prevention, and community-based safety services.
Streets, sidewalks, and transportation	Street repair, sidewalk improvements, snow removal, public transit, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and traffic-related improvements.
Water and infrastructure	Water quality, water and sewer systems, drainage, and lead service line replacement.
Parks, trees, and the environment	Forestry, tree planting and maintenance, parks and recreation, natural-area protection, sustainability, recycling, and climate resilience.
Community and social services	Mental health and substance-use services, youth programs, childcare, food assistance, neighborhood programs, and services for older adults.
Economic and community development	Support for local businesses, downtown improvements, arts and culture, community events, and neighborhood investment.
Spending levels and priorities	Some respondents said they would prefer the City to limit or redirect spending rather than increase funding overall.

Most Important Issue to Address in the Next Year's Budget

590 respondents identified what they considered the single most important issue for the City to address.

Theme	What respondents mentioned
Housing and homelessness	Affordable and supportive housing, services for unhoused residents, homelessness prevention, and concerns about homelessness in public and downtown spaces.
Public safety and crime prevention	Policing, gun violence, traffic enforcement, emergency response, and perceptions of safety.
Streets and infrastructure	Road conditions, sidewalks, water and sewer infrastructure, drainage, and ongoing maintenance.
Taxes and affordability	Property taxes, utility costs, cost of living, and concerns about how public funds are prioritized.
Transportation and mobility	Public transit, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, traffic patterns, and access to jobs and services.
Economic development and downtown vitality	Business support, redevelopment, vacant properties, downtown conditions, and economic activity.
Environmental stewardship	Natural areas, trees, parks, climate resilience, sustainability, and land conservation.
Social and community needs	Mental health, food security, youth services, accessibility, and neighborhood investment.

Questions Respondents Have About the City Budget

265 respondents submitted a response to this question, although some indicated they did not have a question.

Theme	What respondents asked about
Transparency and accessibility	Where to find the budget, how to understand it, and requests for more detailed explanations of revenues, expenditures, grants, fees, and individual programs.
How priorities are set	Who makes budget decisions, how community input is used, and how spending aligns with City plans and neighborhood priorities.
Taxes and revenue	Property taxes, millage rates, fees, potential new revenue sources, and reasons taxes or fees change.
Spending on services and projects	Public safety, housing and homelessness, streets, bicycle infrastructure, surveillance technology, parks, downtown development, and economic development.
Infrastructure and maintenance	Street and sidewalk conditions, drainage, utilities, trees, maintenance, and how projects are selected.
Equity and distribution of resources	How funding is distributed among neighborhoods and populations and whether services are reaching residents with different needs.
Accountability and effectiveness	How the City measures results, evaluates programs and investments, and determines whether spending is achieving its intended outcomes.
Public participation	How residents can provide input, how survey feedback affects decisions, and where people can learn more about the budget process.
Connections to other City initiatives	How the budget relates to initiatives such as Imagine Kalamazoo 2035, neighborhood priorities, and the Foundation for Excellence.

About the survey: The Community Budget Survey was an open opportunity for community input and was not designed to be a statistically representative survey. Results reflect the responses of people who chose to participate. Percentages are based on respondents who answered each question.