Dearborn Launches Survey To Gather Resident Ideas on City Priorities

Dearborn partnered with Change.org to collect information about what residents think their town needs and how to fix local problems. The effort runs through April 19. Michigan's city joined three others across the nation in the Ideas for Change program.

Residents can vote yes or no on proposals others submitted. By 4 p.m. March 27, people cast over 10,000 votes on 128 suggestions.

Alia Phillips runs the city's outreach. According to The Detroit News, she explained that organizers want to prove something surprising: residents agree on far more than they realize, even when arguments make everything seem split down the middle.

Traffic safety dominated the front page. Residents want more officers patrolling where drivers speed. Others proposed adding bumps near playgrounds and schools.

City officials reached out to community groups and leaders to ask everyone to spread the word. Once Change.org reviews what people said, a team of residents will turn popular suggestions into concrete plans that officials can act on.

Phillips hopes to gather that team by late April.

People can take the survey at Dearborn.gov/Surveys. Officials scheduled an online meeting about results for 6 p.m. May 28.