FlashVote data shows progress in Citrus Heights’ beautification efforts over time

By Sara Beth Williams–
FlashVote survey results from the last three years reveal an increase in positive sentiment from Citrus Heights residents regarding the city’s overall management of blight.

Citrus Heights Economic Development and Community Engagement Director Meghan Huber recently shared with The Sentinel data from community image and blight abatement FlashVote surveys from 2022, 2023, and 2024 and said based on the data that residents are “noticing and appreciating the progress we’ve made.”

With three consecutive years of surveys, Huber said the city is now able to provide “benchmarking statistics” that highlight ongoing progress.

According to Huber, there was a three percent increase in sentiment in overall blight management rating from 2022 to 2023 and a four percent sentiment improvement from 2023 to 2024.

2022 survey data shows 7.5% of participants felt blight was being managed terribly, and 22 percent reported management as being handled badly, while almost 39 percent said blight management was “ok” and 22 percent felt management of blight was good.

In a 2023 survey, five percent felt blight management was terrible, and 21 percent of participants felt it was being managed badly. 44 percent said management was “ok,” and 22.6 percent reported management of blight as good.

2024 saw the most improvement in residents’ perception, according to the survey results, with 26.6 percent of participants reporting blight management as good, and 3.5% reported management of blight as excellent. 6.5% reported blight management as being handled terribly, 13.5 percent said blight management was bad, and 45 percent reported management as “ok.”

In addressing takeaways from the combined survey results, Huber said more awareness and activity regarding reporting blight have been increasing, and all reporting methods increased in use from 2023 to 2024. In 2024, a combined 27 percent of participants reported using at least one method to report blight, compared to 20.8 percent in 2023. Residents are able to report blight to the city through email, on the city’s website, over the phone and via text, and through the SeeClickFix app.

“The results show growing community engagement and confidence in our efforts, especially in key areas like Sylvan Oaks, while also acknowledging areas for continued improvement,” Huber said, adding there is a five percent margin of error for the data.

In September, General Services Director Regina Cave reported to the City Council that the Beautification Crew, which manages blight throughout the city, has averaged about 275 service calls per month in 2024, compared to 235 per month in 2023. Cave said online reporting availability has been a factor in allowing the crew to address blight in a timely manner.

Since December 2022, the city’s Beautification Crew has addressed over 5,000 service requests according to Cave.

The city was recently awarded the Helen Putnam Award of Excellence from the League of California Cities during the last City Council meeting on Dec. 11, which recognized Citrus Heights’ Beautification Crew for collecting over 79 tons of debris in its first year.

“This recognition reflects City Council and staff’s dedication and our community’s collaboration to make Citrus Heights cleaner, safer, and more vibrant,” Huber said, adding that the city is “excited to build on this success.”

Each survey on blight and community image for the last three years recorded roughly the same amount of participants, with 388 recorded participants in 2022, 377 in 2023, and 384 in 2024. Participants in FlashVote surveys are Citrus Heights residents, Huber said, adding that residents use their address to sign up. Huber said because the FlashVote is not sent to specific populations of people but sent out to everyone who wishes to sign up, the survey results provide “statistically valid data” because there is no polling or favoritism involved.

The city occasionally sends out FlashVote surveys to seek feedback from residents on local issues, which are 48-hour-only surveys that are emailed to local residents who voluntarily sign up. Residents who wish to provide feedback to the city can subscribe to FlashVote surveys here.