Tulsa City is urging residents to have their say in evaluating the 918.
Tulsa’s City Auditor Nathan Pickard is looking for feedback concerning the “Evaluate the 918” movement. This allowed residents to share their thoughts on the local Tulsa services with a brief survey. Pickard outlines that this campaign is driven in an effort to gather direct, efficient feedback. Pickard and his team have created a short, three-question survey asking questions such as what residents enjoy about the city services, what could be improved, and which services they use the most, as reported News on 6. Through creating three questions, this creates a higher likelihood that residents will participate, knowing it will not take long. Also, their answers can be put into something that will really make a change. With this information, Pickard says the goal is to “ensure the next annual audit reflects the community’s needs and priorities,” according to News on 6.
News on 6 continues with Pickard informing the public that this is the first survey done by the city’s auditor office. Reassuring the public that it is important to hear their views, where Tulsa is excelling and where it is lacking prevents Tulsans from living their most fulfilled lives, reports News on 6. Services need to match what the residents need, which is an aspect of the job of a city auditor. Pickard said, “The most impactful audits, the ones that truly improve city services, start with asking the right questions of the people who are using them,” reported Fox23 News. The city services survey is looking for feedback on many of the city’s services, including parks, recreation areas, and court systems. Tulsa Animal Services reported News on 6. A full list of the services evaluated is found on the “Evaluate the 918” campaign website reported News on 6.
Pickard said, “We want to hear from the people who experience Tulsa’s services first hand. If you’re a Tulsa resident, you’re already an expert with great ideas and input, and we want to learn from you. Your voice matters” reported Fox23 News. A city auditor is able to audit nearly all aspects of the city and is independently elected. These areas include city services such as 911, 311 and code enforcement, budgeting and spending across public departments. Performance of city programs and use of technology and data systems to improve efficiency according to Fox23 News.
Residents can find the survey through the city auditor’s website, tulsacityauditor.org. The survey is open until May 7, 2025, so residents have plenty of time to fill out the survey. Pickard reported that within the first day they already received over 50 responses. Once the deadline has passed, the responses will be collected and reviewed with results being shared to the city department heads reported News on 6. Allowing information for the next annual audit addressing the problems mattering most to the community of Tulsa according to News on 6.
When visiting the website, visible is the survey and you are also able to click information to learn about the office. The city auditors “prioritize audits based on the areas of highest risk, public impact and community input” ensuring trust is built and the correct outcomes are succeeded for Tulsa’s residents according to the Tulsa City Auditor’s website. Areas include Tulsa Animal Services, Asset Management, Communications, Customer Care Center, Development Services, Tulsa Fire Department, Department of Resilience and Equity, alongside many more.
