West Cook News

The Village of Western Springs will conduct The National Community Survey™ at the end of June. Initially, randomly selected residents will receive a mailed invitation to participate. Subsequently, all residents will be able to complete the survey online via the Village's website. The survey aims to help the Village Board and staff identify community priorities and improve the quality of life in Western Springs.

The Village has collaborated with Polco, an independent consultant and civic engagement company, to develop the survey. The National Community Survey™ enables Western Springs to compare results and benchmark residents’ opinions against other similar communities nationwide. It includes questions about quality of life, community characteristics, services provided by Western Springs, and future priorities.

Residents receiving an invitation are encouraged to complete the survey so their opinions can be included. The last citizen survey was conducted nearly ten years ago in 2015. Information about that survey and its results is available on the Village's website.

The National Community Survey™ (The NCS™) was one of the first scientific surveys developed to gather resident opinions on various community issues. It has been used in over 350 jurisdictions across 46 states and serves as an important benchmarking tool for comparing communities. The NCS is endorsed by both the International City/County Management Association and the National League of Cities.

Polco (www.polco.us) was developed to quickly deploy and analyze surveys online, enabling governments, economic development organizations, and nonprofits to measure community livability effectively.