The team at Opinion Research Specialists has personally designed and conducted hundreds of community surveys — including more than 75 projects for the City of Springfield, Missouri, the state’s third-largest city.
Community Surveys
Guided by the belief that effective management begins with accurate measurement, community/citizen surveys collect input from a representative cross-section of residents on a wide range of local issues such as public safety, infrastructure, service satisfaction, quality of life, community priorities, and government performance. They provide local governments with statistically valid insights into what matters most to their constituents. These surveys are ideal for:
- Strategic planning
- Budget and policy development
- Service improvement
- Needs assessment
- Resource allocation
Tax Measure Surveys
Securing voter approval for revenue measures is always challenging. A successful tax measure survey must accurately assess voter sentiment across a range of scenarios and identify the key factors driving support or opposition—insights essential for crafting effective public education campaigns, guiding targeted outreach, and maximizing the likelihood of passage. Since 1991, Opinion Research Specialists has helped local governments, school districts, library districts, and utility companies secure millions of dollars through voter-approved bonds, levies, sales taxes, and rate increases.
School Surveys
For nearly 35 years, educational institutions across Missouri have relied on Opinion Research Specialists to survey their teachers and staff, parents, voters, and the general public.
For example, our research for Springfield R-12—Missouri’s largest school district—has helped secure more than $350 million in voter-approved investments. Similarly, our surveys played a key role in developing the Joplin School District’s current five-year strategic plan (2022–2027). In 2021, we assisted the Mehlville School District in passing its first bond issue in 30 years by surveying its teachers, staff, parents, and frequent voters. In 2023, our research helped the district pass an operating levy increase (Prop S).
For the past 18 years, Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC)—Missouri's third-largest community college—has relied on us to conduct its annual district-wide voter surveys and provide analysis to support strategic planning. Since 1996, ORS has played a key role in helping OTC secure voter approval for campuses in Lebanon, Waynesville, Richwood Valley, Republic, and Table Rock. In 2018, our surveys were instrumental in securing voter approval to renew OTC’s tax levy for an additional 20 years and to pass a 5-cent tax levy increase to expand high-demand programs.
Library Surveys
Opinion Research Specialists has designed and conducted surveys for libraries in Missouri, Texas, California, Colorado, and Florida. The data we collect from library users, non-users, and voters helps libraries respond to evolving community needs, allocate resources effectively, and guide strategic planning.
Our research for the Springfield–Greene County Library District was pivotal in securing voter approval for tax measures that funded the 82,000-square-foot Library Center and the 36,000-square-foot Library Station.
Utility Customer Surveys
For the past 26 years, Opinion Research Specialists has conducted annual customer satisfaction surveys for residential, commercial, and industrial customers of City Utilities of Springfield—the largest municipally owned utility in Missouri. The findings are used to inform internal decision-making, guide service improvements, and support strategic planning efforts. Each survey measures and tracks a wide range of customer perceptions, including:
Employee Surveys
Employee surveys are a powerful diagnostic tool for early problem detection, monitoring core aspects of work life, and developing strategies to improve job satisfaction and engagement—both key drivers of employee retention and performance. Since 2004, Opinion Research Specialists has conducted ongoing employee surveys for City Utilities of Springfield—the largest municipally owned utility in Missouri—as well as for the City of Springfield and the City of Republic.
Employee perceptions that we commonly measure and track include:
