People splash at Monteith Park in 2024. Parks and recreation were rated positively in the city survey.
If the results of a city survey reflect reality, people think the quality of living in Albany is still pretty good but may have gone downhill on several fronts over the last few years.
The survey was conducted last fall. The city council got a report of the results on Jan. 26. The report is 33 pages long. Readers may want to check it out here.
Albany contracts with a Polco, of Madison, WI, to conduct what the company calls its “National Community Survey.” The company did so in Albany in 2019, 2023, and again in October 2025.
Polco sent cards to 3,000 randomly selected addresses within the city limits, 1,000 in each council ward. Some came back as undelivered. The 2,885 addresses that remained were mailed survey forms with stamped return envelopes, and 364 completed the forms and sent them back, for a response rate of 13 percent.
“Of the 364 responses, 363 were completed in English and two were completed in Spanish.” Polco reports. Oh? Well, maybe one was completed in both languages.
What about the results?
Polco’s “key findings” include that residents generally feel safe. Emergency services such as fire and ambulance got positive ratings from roughly eight of 10 participants in the survey.
“However,” the report says, “ratings for police services decreased from 72 percent excellent or good in 2023 to 62 percent in 2025.”
In other categories, the survey participants seemed to be down on the Albany economy. Just over one-fourth gave Albany’s economic health a positive rating.
As for transportation, Albany rated mostly OK for getting around by car. But only 14 percent were impressed with street repairs, down from 27 percent in 2023.
One category that got top ratings was recycling and yard waste pickup. That’s a credit to Republic Services.
Among the dozens of specific findings, most showed declines from 2019 to ’25. One example: “Overall confidence in Albany government” slumped from 44 percent to just to 30 percent
The city’s overall economic health was rated 34 percent excellent or good in ’19, but only 27 percent last year.
Among other survey items that declined in ratings over those six years: “Overall design or layout of residential and commercial areas,” “Your neighborhood as a place to live,” “Availability of affordable quality housing,” and “Code enforcement.”
Among the things that make up a town’s livability, Albany “parks and recreation” ranked highest among the survey takers, with 60 percent rating that aspect as “excellent or good.”
The council received its Zoom briefing on the results during its last work session. Members might want to go over the report again and try to decide whether people have just become more cranky or if the survey showed real trends that call for something to be done. (hh)
or, it might be that POLCO sample is too small to jump to any conclusions.
I seriously doubt you’d say that if the result was opposite.
These surveys are an admirable way for the City Council to stay in touch with the opinions and needs of the community. 60 years ago, Albany was small enough that the council and mayor knew many, if not most of the citizens. As a town grows, this ability to know your constituents declines. I am no longer a resident, but when I visit, I get the same vibe that Albany is still safe, still retains a charming small city feel, but that the economic outlook and vitality of the city needs work. The council needs to be proactive attracting businesses, including downtown, which might have peaked 10-15 years ago, after suffering quite a bit post-freeway (I-5) completion in 1960. Get back to that 2010 ideal.
“…. The council needs to be proactive attracting businesses, including downtown…..”
They poured about $22MILLION of OUR money through CARA toward their downtown/Scott Lepman wealth building campaign. All they have now are shops that only a soccer grannie would love.
I wasn’t one of the original recipients of the mailed form, but somehow I got a link to do it online. I wonder if they even bothered to count the results from those of us who did it on the web. For what it’s worth, as a fairly recent transplant from NYC, I give Albany good marks on most categories. My wife and I love Albany and our neighbors and hope to see it thrive in the coming years.
13 percent response rate.
Random sampling.
Mailed.
Not statistically valid.
For how much money?
So many better ways.
Personal interviews.
Use Volunteers. LB students for credit.
Canvas.
Senior Center.
Churches
River Rhythms
Vets Day parade
Boys and Girls club
YMCA
Farmers Market
LBCC
Downtown
Heritage Mall
Art and Air festival
River Rhythms
Good grief!
U the best for reporting on the heart beat of Albany……
Albany can still thank the late and former Parks Director Dave Clark, who has since passed away. He made their park system the envy of many a city. A city’s parks and livability go hand in hand.
The fact that only 364 out of 3000 were filled out and the rest were returned sealed or were not filled out should be considered a clue about public opinion. People have moved away, don’t care and/or realize no one really wants their input. The low amount of responses reflects more of a negative trend than even the ones received. What is the point of conveying any information if people decide that any unwelcome comment is invalid or just “more cranky”.
You don’t need a pointless survey that doesn’t receive enough responses to create an action plan. Get out on the street and talk to people, and actually listen. We don’t need brick intersections on areas nobody uses except to drive around the traffic jams on and off the bridges. Or finding better streets to avoid all the potholes that are ignored for years. And don’t get me started on the performance of the city “leaders”. Livability in Albany is on the downfall. Too much coddling of what Portlandia wants the rest of the state to do and sucking up to the idiots in Salem with immigration statements that do nothing for the residents here.
As if the citizens believe their input counts if it’s contrary to the city’s “Master Plan”.