UWM SURVEY GAUGES CITIZEN PERCEPTION OF GOVERNMENT

Milwaukee--Residents of Southeastern Wisconsin have poor perceptions of county and state government these days. In fact, the Center for Urban Initiatives and Research (CUIR) at UWM can quantify it.

From an overwhelming preference for elected county executives to a clear majority favoring fewer county supervisors, a survey of 452 residents in a four-county area reveals that people want, above all, accountability.

The survey, a sort of report card gauging the feelings residents have of their governing bodies, was recently completed by the center. It will be presented today at the fifth annual UWM Urban Initiatives Conference held at the Italian Community Center.The conference, "Governing Ourselves: Metropolitan Milwaukee at the Crossroads," will examine issues affecting how we are governed and how the public sector affects issues like light rail, economic development, and social services.

Co-sponsored by CUIR, University Outreach and The Milwaukee Idea Office, the conference gets under way at 8:15 a.m. with the presentation of the "Good Government: What Citizens Think" survey results.When asked to rate the effectiveness of various levels of government, with 10 being the most effective, county and state received the lowest ratings - 5.53 and 5.78, respectively. In rating county government, Milwaukee respondents were the least happy, giving their county a 5; Washington County respondents rated their county government the highest at 7.14.

Milwaukee County residents, who made up 62.2 percent of the survey participants, also gave county government low marks for communication with constituents, and indicated they were split on the question of whether the county executive's post should be full- or part-time.

Individual school districts came out on top with an overall rating of 6.57, and the federal government followed closely with a combined rating of 6.35.

"The survey is definitely a sign of the times," says Peter Maier, associate director of CUIR. "Usually it's the federal government that comes out on the bottom of the heap in these kinds of surveys. In this one, it (the federal government) came out looking pretty good."

Nearly 43 percent of the respondents ranked the U.S. government as most important in their daily lives. City, village or town government ranked a distant second, scoring just under 28 percent.

When asked what was the biggest challenge facing counties today, 30 percent of Milwaukeeans said, "government or governmental officials."

Only 2 percent in Milwaukee and 5 percent in Waukesha mentioned property taxes as the biggest challenge to their respective counties, although nearly 53 percent of respondents said they believed their municipal taxes were higher than surrounding cities, and more than 47 percent said they believed their county taxes were higher than other counties in Southeastern Wisconsin.

The survey also underscores the fact that many residents do not fully understand what the county government does, says Maier. Almost a third of the respondents said they did not know what the biggest challenge facing their county is.

"Until recently, the county has been the level of government taken most for granted," Maier says.

Other conference sessions include:

11 a.m.

"Embracing Diversity: Report by the Public Policy Forum." A recent report assesses racial, income, and housing disparities in the seven-county Southeastern Wisconsin region and offers recommendations to embrace diversity and achieve equity.

12:30 p.m.

"As the City Goes, So Goes the Region." How important is inner city economic vitality to the regional economy? A report from the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) will be followed by a response panel

1:45 p.m.

"Emerging Regional Efforts in Economic Development." Economic development can serve as a powerful engine for regional cooperation. Learn about new efforts like TechStar, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, and the Regional Joint Venture.

3:30 p.m.

"Doing More with Less: Fiscal Imperatives for Intergovernmental Collaboration." Intergovernmental collaboration and regional initiatives are timely topics as governments look for greater efficiency and limits on new taxes.

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