PALM BEACH COUNTY SURVEY RESULTS REVEAL THE PUBLIC’S SPENDING PRIORITIES
Asked about COVID-19 and American Rescue Plan spending, respondents express wariness
Palm Beach County survey respondents prioritize food assistance, small business support, low-income health programs and safe school reopening when asked how local governments should spend American Rescue Plan (ARP) dollars. These findings are the result of a survey by the office of Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss, in partnership with Community Data Platforms, who polled constituents in August.
More than 500 area residents completed the questionnaire which asked about a variety of topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic. “One of the main takeaways is that there’s still a palpable sense of uncertainty in the community,” said Commissioner Gregg Weiss.
Among the salient findings: a majority of small business owners report having been negatively impacted by COVID-19, and though most of them received financial assistance, they’re wary about the future, with 40% saying they’re not confident they will remain open the next six months. Households also appear to be cautious when looking to the future, with one out of seven indicating they are unable (4%) or uncertain (10%) they can pay their expenses for the next six months.
“This survey shines a light on how area individuals, households and businesses were faring at the time they were polled. However, because we lack other data points we cannot make meaningful comparisons nor draw firm conclusions regarding cause and effect. Nevertheless, I feel it’s valuable to gauge public sentiment through questionnaires like we did,” said Weiss.
