Survey: What concerns Sonoma County?

Sonoma County residents are more concerned about gangs and crime, foreign oil and a possible water shortage than they are about transportation issues, according to a survey conducted for the county’s transportation authority.

Still, people want to see safer, less crowded roads and are willing to pay a sales tax to fund transportation alternatives.

“Sonoma voters want to see a comprehensive plan, they would like to see transit for the disabled and buses for the elderly, they like a passenger train overwhelmingly and road improvements,” said Jim Moore of Sacramento, whose firm, Moore Methods, conducted the survey.

Respondents also think the Sonoma County Transportation Authority is on the right track with its transit improvements, with an overwhelming majority — 79 percent — believing the county’s quarter-cent sales tax is being spent wisely.

“People seem to be satisfied with the local sales tax program, which is a broad-based program,” said Suzanne Smith, the agency’s executive director. “There seems to be some indication that people perceive some things, like local streets and roads, have improved, some recognition that efforts are being made and progress is being made.”

Pollsters interviewed 525 registered Sonoma County voters between Dec. 11 and 17. The poll, which cost $28,000, has a 4.4 percent margin of error, Moore said.

“There is nothing controversial here,” Moore said. “Voters are satisfied with the tax measure and program and the priorities, and they see progress made on the transportation front.”

The survey also found only 51 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the county Board of Supervisors and 46 percent with their local city councils.

Because much smaller numbers of respondents expressed dissatisfaction,however, those are positive numbers, Moore said.

“That is typical, these are tough times,” Moore said. “Those numbers are not negative. Those are typical numbers, they are strong.”

Gangs and crime was the top concern, cited by 82 percent of the respondents, followed by dependence on foreign oil, 81 percent, sufficient water, 80 percent, and use of renewable energy resources, 76 percent.

Smith said the responses might be reactions to recent high-profile gang cases, the Iraq war and rising gas prices and the recent Sonoma County Water Agency call for mandatory water conservation to deal with a drier than normal year.

“You start out with warmup questions, ‘How do you feel about things, about government,’ ” Smith said. “You start getting them to think about what issues are important to them, you get context.”

On transit issues, safe roads was the top concern, 70 percent, followed by public transit for seniors and the disabled, 61 percent, widening Highway 101, 59 percent, and maintaining roads, 57 percent.

Respondents would also support tax deductions for those who buy hybrid cars, 73 percent, traffic impact fees on new development, 68 percent, increasing the sales tax by a quarter cent for transit, 65 percent, and increasing corporate and business taxes for transit, 58 percent.

A sales tax for a Sonoma-Marin train gets 77 percent support. Twenty-four percent said they would use it regularly, but 68 percent hope that others will use it.

You can reach Staff Writer Bob Norberg at bob.norberg@pressdemocrat.com.