Village Government Listens to the Community

Village Government Listens to the Community

The Village has numerous initiatives to listen and solicit feedback from the community, including:

• National Citizen Survey - Every three years since 2003, the Village has conducted a survey of Skokie citizens. The surveys are administered by the National Research Center in Boulder, Colorado, through the National Community Survey initiative that provides a cost-effective written and online citizen survey tool. Village of Skokie officials and administrators analyze the survey response data in an effort to modify, strengthen and improve Village programs and services to better serve the community. Since in the past the results were not analyzed based on race, going forward, the Village will ensure that this demographic analysis occurs.  As a result of high marks in Skokie’s public safety ratings in the 2018 National Citizen Survey, Skokie received a national  ‘Voice of the People’ Award for its efforts at community engagement in public safety. View the results for the citizen surveys conducted in 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2018.
• Community Forums – In 2019, the Village held a community forum attended by some 90 Skokie residents that participated in discussions about Village programs and services, as well as their concerns and aspirations for the community. See more information and reports from the 2019 Skokie Community Forum. The 2019 community forum, pictured to the right, followed a similar community forum held in 2014 that was attended by more than 100 Skokie residents.
• Community Spaghetti Dinners – Held in fall 2016 and spring 2018, hundreds of residents attended these free dinners hosted at the Skokie fire stations and Public Works garage and visited with Village officials and staff. (See photo below)
• Village Board Meetings – All Village Board meeting agendas include a citizen comment section during which members of the community can address the Board about community matters.
• Through email and AccessSkokie App – Residents can convey their thoughts on community matters by emailing the Village’s at info@skokie.org or via the AccessSkokie app that can be accessed via smart phone apps or the internet. 
• NewSkokie Invitation – Every edition of NewSkokie, the Village’s newsletter that is published six times annually, features an invitation for residents to contact the Village with questions and concerns, providing a variety of options for contacting the Village.