Majority of residents believe the Sacramento County is headed in the wrong direction
As part of their preparation for the 2025 budget year that will start on July 1, 2024, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors commissioned a study to gauge residents’ attitudes. As part of establishing budget priorities, the supervisor heard a report on the study during their Tuesday, December 12 meeting.
The study, which was conducted by Oakland-based FM3 Research, found, among other times, the top three countywide concerns. Presenting the finding was FM3’s Dave Metz.
“We still see a similar list of issues that they view as pressing concerns that they would like to see address, not just by county government, but by local and state government as well,” Metz said. “Foremost among those by far is homelessness, followed by housing cost and public safety.”
The survey included 1,061 residents who were contacted by phone, text, postcard, and email. The questions were available in several languages.
Among the most concerning findings was that 51 percent of respondents believed the county was headed in the wrong direction, which was a decline from 52 percent in 2021. Metz noted sentiment statewide is negative, with places like San Francisco in the 80s.
“When we ask statewide in California, it’s in the high 50s,” he stated. “So Sacramento is not drastically different from the rest of the negative mood we are seeing in a lot of different parts of the state right now”
The study showed that 58 percent of respondents cited homelessness as the most pressing issue. In the 2021 survey, homelessness was in first place, with 53 percent saying it was the most critical issue for the county.
That was followed by public safety at 18 percent and housing affordability at 15 percent. Transportation infrastructure, which has been a priority for the Sacramento Transporation Authority and many local elected officials, was only cited by eight percent as the most important countywide issue.
The video below shows highlights from the survey. Information on fiscal year 2025 budget priority can be viewed on the county’s website.
