Exit Surveys as a Tool for Local Officials Who Are Considering Bond Issues for Infrastructure Improvements

Abstract

This study presents a framework for using exit surveys as a way to identify and explain citizen support for property tax increases for local infrastructure improvements. When local policy makers are interested in surveying their citizens about potential policy options, great care must be taken in choosing the population to be surveyed. Because voter turnout tends to be much lower in local elections, traditional phone and mail techniques may overestimate the willingness of citizens to vote. The alternative presented here is an exit survey of those persons who have participated in a specific local election. Findings from this case study show that negative attitudes about government and perceived tax liabilities appear to be more consistently related to attitudes toward raising taxes than are demographic variables. On the other hand, demographic variables may be mitigating factors not only with regard to perceived tax burdens but also in regard to defining one’s use or intended use of projects.