The Town of Vienna is among 22 communities nationwide who will be recognized Oct. 21 at the 105th International City/County Management Association (ICMA) conference in Nashville for excellence in delivering quality-of-life services to residents. Vienna is a winner of Voice of the
People Awards for both Excellence in Recreation and Wellness and Excellence in Education and Enrichment.
Based on citizen responses to the National Citizen Survey (to be called the National Community Survey moving forward), Voice of the People awards are presented jointly by the National Research Center, Inc. (NRC), Polco, and ICMA.
According to a press release issued by National Research Center: “These awards are only given to top-performing jurisdictions that best listen and act for the benefit of their communities.”
In a National Citizen Survey conducted last fall, Town residents reported higher ratings in recreation and wellness and education and enrichment compared to all other participating jurisdictions. Vienna was rated more highly by its residents than other jurisdictions for its recreational opportunities, parks, recreation center, and recreation programs. The Town was scored much higher than comparison communities for its special events and citizen attendance at Town-sponsored events.
“We love the Vienna community and what we do to serve residents,” says Parks and Recreation Director Leslie Herman. “We like to think that parks and recreation programming and community events function as the connective tissue that brings our community together and makes it stronger. We’re so gratified that our programs, facilities, and events are appreciated by citizens.”
The National Citizen Survey, which the Town of Vienna typically conducts biennially, comprehensively and accurately reports resident opinion and satisfaction with local government and services with a scientific, representative sample approach and allows participating jurisdictions to benchmark their ratings with other communities across the country. Survey results are used to inform budgeting, performance measurement, and program planning.