First of two parts
By John R. Schirmer
News-Leader staff
Results of the recent Developing Howard County survey were released Oct. 1 at a community meeting led by Logan Benson of the Arkansas Economic Development Institute.
The online survey was administered in late August and early September, and findings were compiled by AEDI. Benson said 300 responses were submitted.
“That’s a good response rate,” according to Benson. “Sometimes we get 99.9 percent responding and sometimes we get two responses.”
Three hundred “is a pretty good number. It’s enough to get a least a feeling” for what people are saying.
About 20 people attended the meeting, including elected officials, business people and the general public.
The survey is part of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy which Developing Howard County is forming with AEDI.
CEDS is a key component of the effort to attract new industries and businesses and to strengthen those already operating in Howard County.
The survey had eight sections, including Health and Safety, Economy, Recreation and Culture, Housing, Education, Services and Infrastructure, Child Care, and Future Priorities.
Overall, respondents were positive about the county, according to Benson. The survey included statistics about answers and comments from those who participated. There were also comparisons between what things were like in 2020 and in 2024.
“Surveys are all about perception,” Benson said. “Reality sometimes has no relationship” to what is said.
Today’s News-Leader will review the first four sections. The remainder of the survey will be included in next week’s issue.
Health and Safety – Respondents said Howard County has “good police protection, good fire protection, safety and good health care. It’s viewed as a safe place to be,” Benson said. Marks were slightly lower for healthcare access.
Comments about health and safety were “slightly better” than they were in 2020,” Benson said.
“There was a strong positive lean in all categories. The lowest evaluations are from parents and adults and respondents 60 years or older.”
Respondents who felt health and safety have become worse said “hospital services have declined [and there was a] perceived increase in the homeless population,” according to Benson.
Those who said health and safety have improved gave the following reasons:
“Hospitals are fine, but there are few local doctors. Community health and safety are a priority in Howard County. Fire and police services need more improvement. Healthy foods, fitness opportunities and personal health education should be more available.”
Economy – The survey showed many in the county feel secure in their jobs and are satisfied with pay, Benson said, but “educational level and pay” affected the responses.
Per capita income in Howard County increased 15 percent since 2018, with unemployment up about one tenth of a percent.
Howard County has increased in per capita faster than Arkansas has, Benson said.
Those who said the economy is worse than it was in 2020 gave these reasons:
“There is a need for more job opportunities. There is a need to maintain the jobs which are already in the county. General concerns on inflation. New businesses struggle to survive in Howard County.”
Those who saw improvement wanted “to see investment in key industries with nodes in nearby areas such as cyber security and technology. Howard County has shown resilience in the face of recent economic issues,” such as the Husqvarna plant closure.
Recreation and Culture – Individuals age 17 and younger and non-parents reported the lowest satisfaction with private recreation opportunities, Benson said. Those ages 18-40 reported the highest satisfaction with private recreation opportunities.
Those who said recreation and culture had become worse since 2020 cited the following:
“Neither appearance nor entertainment options are attracting new people to Howard County. There is a lack of entertainment options for youth. There is a need for more restaurant options. There is a lack of pride for the communities’ appearance.” Littering is an issue.
The need for more restaurant options was also mentioned by those who said recreation and culture have improved.
Other comments included, “Diversity in community activities has grown in recent years. There is a desire to see more community activities and local art installations,. There is a desire to see improvements and investment into what is already being offered.”
Housing – “There was a slight negative lean in all categories regarding housing,” Benson said. “Households receiving less than $10,000 or those with more than $200,000 reported the lowest satisfaction with housing options. All income levels had a negative lean with housing options. Multi-family renters had a positive lean with housing options.”
Those who said housing has become worse said the following:
“Housing is not affordable in Howard County. There are not enough housing options, and residential land is limited. Properties are not being maintained.:
Those who said housing has become better said the county has a safe environment and good living conditions.”
Next issue: The remainder of the survey
Pt 2
Last week, the News-Leader reported on the results of a community survey conducted in Howard County by the Arkansas Economic Development Institute in cooperation with Developing Howard County.
Logan Benson of AEDI discussed the survey and reviewed the responses from eight different sections. He said about 300 people completed the survey, which he called a good response rate.
The Oct. 9 News-Leader reviewed the first four sections – Health and Safety, Economy, Recreation and Culture, and Housing.
Today’s issue will include the other four sections – Education, Services and Infrastructure, Child Care, and Future Priorities.
Education – All categories showed “a strong positive lean,” Benson said, but K-12 education “had the highest variance in responses.”
Parents of young children reported the highest satisfaction with K-12, according to Benson, while parents of older children reported the lowest satisfaction.
Most respondents said education in the county has stayed the same or “is better” than it was in 2020.
They said schools are cultivating innovation. They also said schools “need to attract teachers and prepare them for success [and] need to prioritize education and mental health.”
Those who said education is worse than in 2020 said schools “have decreased in educational quality … are favoring sports over eduction … are not preparing students for college … hybrid schools have grown difficult for working parents.”
Services and infrastructure – Overall, respondents said services and infrastructure are the same as in 2020, Benson said.
There was a neutral lean in tax rates, road maintenance and internet access.
Sidewalks and paths, electrical infrastructure, water and sewer, and waste disposal all had positive leans, according to Benson.
Those who thought services and infrastructure were worse than in 2020 said property taxes “are too high. Roads are not well maintained. Water and sewer costs have increased significantly.”
Those who said services and infrastructure were better said there have been improvements “but still room to grow … Need for funding to be moved toward infrastructure maintenance … internet access has reached a good portion of the rural areas in the county … need for public transportation options.”
Child care – Respondents “showed a neutral lean in access to quality child care,” Benson said. They had a “strongly positive lean in safety of children and comfort of working and raising a family in Howard County.”
Respondents with children had “a negative lean regarding the amount and quality of child care facilities.”
Households making between $30,000-$50,000 and more than $200,000 reported the highest satisfaction with the amount and quality of child care facilities, Benson said. Those making between $100,000-$200,000 were the only group to have a negative lean regarding the amount and quality of child care facilities.”
Most respondents said child care has stayed the same in the county since 2020.
Those who said it has become worse said there are “limited options for daycare. Existing child care facilities are inadequate or too expensive. Long working hours extend past the hours of daycares and schools.”
Those who said child care has improve said there are “plenty of childcare facilities” but they “need to stay open longer to accommodate long work hours.”
Future priorities – The survey showed that Howard County’s strengths are the community, its schools, the resources it can leverage, and the small-town feel, Benson said.
Weaknesses are lack of job opportunities, lack of business opportunities, lack of housing options and poor economic conditions.
Respondents said the biggest challenges are lack of job growth, changing industry, small population, low growth rate, lack of housing and general lack of opportunities
Respondents said the focus should be to “attract jobs and create and maintain business relationships with businesses already local. Improve the branding of community pride in Howard County. Increase housing development in the county. Education about taxes. Expand recreation and entertainment.”
Benson said the next steps for Developing Howard County likely should be creating “focus groups for specific needs and actions to move forward.”
