Anne Arundel residents are struggling to pay utility bills and consider the downturn in the economy as their biggest fear, according to a recent survey.
“As people see the national problems, they want some assurance that it?s going to affect them at the local level,” said Dan Nataf, director of the Center for the Study of Local Issues at Anne Arundel Community College, which conducted the survey of 419 residents last week.
“Until they get that reassurance, people are going to feel anxiety in all sorts of ways.”
The survey is done twice a year via a phone questionnaire and routinely asks questions about the economy and other important issues in Anne Arundel.
When asked about the most important problem, county residents typically have cited growth/development, education and traffic as their main concerns.
But in this spring?s survey, the economy was the top worry at 23 percent of the respondents. That?s twice as many from last year and the highest level since 2003.
The respondents? perception of the county?s economic condition is tending negatively, though the majority still remains optimistic.
Fifty-five percent of the respondents said the county?s economy is either excellent or good.
But those who said the economy is fair or poor is rising and at its highest level since 2003.
The biggest economic heartburn for county residents is the high cost of utilities, as 61 percent of the respondents said their electricity or gas bill is difficult to afford.
“This is the highest I?ve seen it, and that is impressive,” Nataf said.
The cost of living outpacing salaries got the second-highest response. Meanwhile, only 6 percent said they face the possibility of home foreclosure.
After the economy, high taxes was a major concern with 47 percent saying it is hard for them to afford the current tax rates.
And when asked whether they would support a tax increase to help fund raises for teachers and county union employees, only 23 percent supported such a move while most said to cut programs to fund the raises or postpone them.
There have been concerns that the county cannot afford the promised pay increases because of shortfalls in tax revenue.
The survey also noted that:
» 54 percent supported a “small” stormwater management fee on all property owners.
» 63 percent would vote for slot machines in the November referendum (county residents have long supported slots in this survey).
» 79 percent support efforts in the General Assembly to ban hand-held cell phone use while driving.
