Community Survey
Summary
The City of Fairfax conducted a Community Survey as a formal outreach effort to gauge resident priorities and satisfaction with city services. Staff first presented the survey process to City Council in a work session on April 22, 2025, with no formal action taken. A follow-up work session discussion was rescheduled from June 10 to June 24, 2025, where it was again discussed without formal action. Additional follow-up discussions were scheduled at a Council Retreat on June 28, 2025, and a work session on July 1, 2025, both without recorded formal actions or votes. By late October 2025, results had been received and were being publicly referenced: the survey showed strong community satisfaction with city services overall, and identified walking/biking trail availability as the top priority under parks and recreation, and affordable housing as a top human services concern. A public-facing dashboard was subsequently posted on the city's website allowing residents to explore survey responses in more detail. As of mid-2026, the survey results continued to be cited in discussions on topics including parks and trails, affordable housing, senior services, and transit/walkability, with at least one council member expressing hope that the community survey becomes a regularly used feedback tool.
Open questions & options on the table
- Whether the community survey will be conducted on a recurring/regular basis, as at least one council member has expressed hope for this but no formal decision has been recorded.
What members have said
At the October 28, 2025 meeting, Council Member Amos noted that the community survey results showed walking trails and biking trails as the number one item under parks and recreation, and indicated this would factor into further discussions, though not as a decisive point. Amos also expressed fiscal concerns about drawing from the general fund or unassigned fund balance.
At the October 28, 2025 meeting, Council Member Hardy Chandler echoed some of Council Member Amos's points, without additional specific positions recorded in the excerpts.
Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.
Discussion time
Minutes of named discussion per transcribed meeting.
Full history
[1a] Staff presented and discussed the community survey process during the work session. No formal action was taken.
[11d] Work session discussion was rescheduled for June 24, 2025; not held at this meeting.
[11d] Council discussed the Community Survey during the work session; no formal action was taken.
[6] Scheduled as a follow-up discussion on the community survey. No outcome recorded.
[1e] Council held a follow-up discussion on the community survey during the work session.
Discussed alongside
Topics that come up in the same meetings.