KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – The results of the City of Keene’s latest FlashVote survey are in.

This survey was focused on community needs, and was part of the Master Plan Update, which happens every 10-15 years to help map out the future of the city.

Shopping, dining, and entertainment options ranked the highest as what participants feel the strengths of the city are at 54%, followed closely by recreational facilities and programs at 53%, and ease of getting around town at 51.6%.

The range and cost of available housing ranked the lowest among the city’s strengths, with only 3.3%.

Residents overwhelmingly said that physical safety and security was the most important aspect of the city at 70.6%. That was followed by the range and cost of available housing at 48.8%. Recreational facilities and programs ranked the lowest with 29.4%.

The survey also asked participants what is most concerning when it comes to the local economy. 56.3% of survey takers said taxes are too high now, and 59.6% said taxes will be too high in the future. 58.7% were concerned that the city won’t attract new businesses to the area in the future.

The final question of the survey included a comment box for participants to share additional feedback. Many responses mentioned cutting spending and lowering property taxes, while others voiced concerns about ease of getting around town and public transportation.

You can see the full results of the survey here.

The survey ended with a reminder about the Vision Keene 20-Forward Future Summit coming up this weekend.

The community is encouraged to attend and provide input on the future of the city. It’s set for Saturday, October 5th from 9 AM – 12 PM at the Keene Public Library in Heberton Hall. Those interested in attending can register here.

Data from previous workshops showed a desire for innovation in the city.

A more in-depth survey was conducted as part of the project earlier this year, which showed residents rated Keene mostly favorably, with some areas for improvement.