Santa Clara residents and business persons are invited to provide online input to help shape the city’s vision and plans for Vote Ethics 2012. Information to be gathered includes feedback regarding the November 2010 municipal election for Santa Clara Mayor and City Council, including public comment about actions on the part of candidates or others that built public trust during the election. The public is also invited to suggest goals for the next campaign and suggestions for the continuous improvement of the City’s award-winning Vote Ethics Program.
The survey’s feedback form is available from the front page of the City’s website and at
http://ethicscompany.com/phpESP/public/survey.php?name=VoteEthics2010PublicFeedback
Responses are due by April 20, 2011, at 5 p.m.
Unlike the scientific surveys conducted after previous City elections, the online feedback form is open to anyone in the City who chooses to answer the questions. The City’s ethics consultant, Dr. Tom Shanks, will prepare a summary report , combining public feedback from the online form, candidate feedback gathered in individual interviews, and other sources of information and suggestions.
“The City has held a public meeting to gather feedback and suggestions after every election since 2000,” Shanks said. “This year, we had a schedule conflict and could not hold the meeting, but public feedback is an important and necessary part of the Vote Ethics Program. The Web allows us to gather the information we need from anyone who wishes to participate, not just those who can attend an evening meeting.”
Like the public feedback sessions, the online form takes a positive approach. The public is asked to identify any issues or problems from the previous election, to name campaign behaviors that built public trust, and to provide input about Vote Ethics materials. This feedback will be used to develop Dr. Shanks’ recommendations for positive goals and a vision for the 2012 campaign.
Respondents are encouraged to answer the questions in a thorough and objective manner; responses will go directly to the City’s ethics consultant, Dr. Tom Shanks, who will not share the respondents’ names or identifying information with the City unless the respondent gives specific permission for him to do so. Feedback forms may also be submitted anonymously.
This post election public feedback effort is part of the City’s Ethics & Values Program, and reflects the City’s on-going commitment to continuous improvement, ethical leadership and honorable political campaigns which foster public trust and good government.
For additional information, call (408) 615-2213.
