San Joaquin Valley Speaks Survey

Beginning in 2018, FCCET embarked upon an effort to better understand and therefore better represent the issues that City of Fresno residents cared about most in order to inform its civic engagement projects.

FCCET then launched its first annual representative survey of City of Fresno voters’ attitudes about issues impacting Fresno families in 2020. The Fresno Table partnered with the UC Merced Community and Labor Center to ensure that the survey was representative of Fresno and that the questions were designed to capture voter public opinion on major issues, at the level of the City of Fresno and in each of its seven city council districts.

In 2021, FCCET conducted its second annual representative survey with the UC Merced Community and Labor Center to once again explore the issues that Fresno voters cared about. The 2021 Fresno Speaks survey of 1,520 registered voters in the City of Fresno was conducted between July 14 – August 23, 2021. Voters were asked about the effect of the pandemic on their lives, the city budget, public safety, and to rank their priority issues.

This survey and its findings were significant because of the size of the survey sample. There was a +/- 3 percent margin of error at the city level and a +/- 7 percent margin of error at the city council district level. The Fresno Speaks 2021 survey also predicted that final certified recall election results within one percentage point.

2022 Fresno Speaks Survey

Background

Data for Social Good (DSG) was commissioned by The Fresno County Civic Engagement Table (FCCET), a coalition of local organizations to conduct a survey within the City of Fresno. The research was conducted from June 25 to August 23, 2022. A total of 1,850 Fresno residents were contacted via phone by members of the coalition. DSG oversampled Latinos, Blacks and Asians to approximate the City's registered voters and has a 2+/- margin of error. This is the third iteration of Fresno Speaks conducted in 2020, 2021, and now 2022.

Key Findings

Overall, Fresno residents are focused on housing and  public safety as issues negatively impacting their household. From a field of choices and forced to choose one:

  • Housing (20.5%) with this issue being statistically significant for Latinos and Blacks

  • Homelessness (18.4%)

  • Crime / Gun Violence (16.9%) with this issue being statistically significant for Whites

Addressing Public Safety

When asked about how to successfully reduce violence, respondents focused on prevention and rehabilitation with most favoring:

  • Mental health services were the top choice with (26.4%);

  • Followed by job opportunities for formerly incarcerated (21.3%) at a statistical rate for Latinos and Blacks than their White or Asian counterparts; and;

  • Targeted programs within schools (16.5%)

Support for Local Programs & Amenities

  • The Advance Peace Program enjoyed overwhelming support (89.1%) especially among Latinos.

  • Measure P respondents prioritized traditional park improvements and facilities with the following: 

    • Improving Picnic Areas (49.5%), more so for female respondents

    • Expanding soccer facilities (19.1%), more so for Latino and White respondents

    • Refurbishing basketball courts (13.7%), more so for Black respondents

  • Fresno residents want to use Measure A funds to fortify people and neighborhoods. The top three responses were:

    • Mental health services

    • Improving streets sidewalks and streetlights (23.6%), especially true for Latinos, Asians, and respondents 18-35 and 56 to 65 years old

    • And more after-school and summer youth programs (21.6%), especially true for Latino, Black, female respondents, and respondents 26 - 45 years old

Improving Access for a Increasing Engaged Fresno

  • Contrary to the perception of residents in the Central Valley, an overwhelming number of Fresno residents believe voting is important:

  • 85.5% believe that voting is extremely important or very important

  • Unfortunately, 30.9% of residents struggle in understanding how to engage or contact their city council representative and of those concerned about evictions or foreclosures 57.3% don't know about City or County resources or where to find them.

  • Overall, Fresno residents want to get involved in resolving problems. Residents want to get involved in: 

    • Cost of living issues (including housing, homelessness, healthcare, and internet access)

    • Youth issues (including quality of public schools and youth involvement)

    • Community and social issues (including support for people with disabilities, racism, and voting rights)

    • Environmental issues (air pollution and climate change