Stockton, CA
Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
August 2026
Presented by: Rachelle Cantero, Director of Civic Strategy and Engagement Executive
Summary
City Council Meeting
August 18, 2026
Item #10.2
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What Stockton Residents Are Telling Us
Stockton Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
Measure M's challenge is awareness, not opposition. 44% had heard nothing about it, yet among those aware, renewal support outpaces opposition two to one — the first gap to close is visibility.
City services are underused, and information is the missing link. Four to six in ten residents never use library, recreation, or youth programs; better information about what's available is the top unlock.
Access shapes who participates. Transportation is a real barrier for 41% of residents, hardest on younger (54%) and Black or African American (58%) residents — pointing to mobility, not just outreach.
Satisfaction erodes with age, especially for youth programs (51% at 18–34 to 20% at 55+).
On safety, residents want both prevention and policing — the two rank nearly even, splitting by age and race.
Reach residents online. Social media leads discovery, and digital surveys are the runaway preferred feedback channel. 3 Measure M:
Awareness & Support
Stockton, CA
Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
August 2026
Most residents have heard little or nothing about Measure M Q2: Before today, how much had you heard about Measure M (the Strong Communities Initiative)? [single select, N=608]
Awareness of Measure M is low
across the board. Just 15% of
residents had heard a great deal or
a moderate amount about the
initiative, while 44% had heard
nothing at all. Residents 35–54 are
the least aware (50% "nothing at
all"), and awareness is broadly
similar across racial and ethnic
groups — pointing to a citywide
visibility gap rather than a
targeting problem.
Measure M: Awareness & Support
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Stockton, CA
Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
August 2026
Q2: Response: Nothing at all
Average
= 44%
Measure M awareness is lowest in the city's
northern districts
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Awareness varies most by
geography. Residents in
Districts 1, 2, and 3 are the least
likely to have heard of Measure
M (47–54% "nothing at all"),
while District 5 residents are the
most informed (34%). The
20−point spread points to
where outreach could be
concentrated first.
District Nothing at all
1 47%
2 54%
3 49%
4 39%
5 34%
6 40%
Sample Average= 44%
Stockton, CA
Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
August 2026Measure M: Awareness & Support
Q2: Before today, how much had you heard about Measure M (the Strong Communities Initiative)? [single select, N=608] 1 3 2
4 5
6
Cost and accountability are the top levers for winning over skeptics Powered byPowered byPowered byPowered by
Among the small group currently
opposed to renewal, cost and
transparency dominate. A lower or
no sales-tax increase (38%) leads,
followed by independent audits
and community oversight (26%)
and more resident input into
spending (25%). One in five say
nothing would change their mind.
With a base this small (N=51), read
these as directional signals rather
than precise estimates.
Q5: Which of the following, if any, would make you more likely to support the renewal of Measure M? [select up to three if Q4 = ‘Somewhat opposed’ or ‘Strongly opposed’, N=51]
Stockton, CA
Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
August 2026Measure M: Awareness & Support
7 City Services
& Programs
Stockton, CA
Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
August 2026
A large share of residents never use the City's community services Powered byPowered byPowered byPowered by
City Services and Programs
Q6: In the last 12 months, how often have you (or someone in your household) used the following City services provided by the Community Services Department? [single select, N=608]
Stockton, CA
Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
August 2026
Non-use is high across all three service
areas. 41% of residents never use library
services, 45% never use recreation
programs or facilities, and 59% never use
youth-specific programs. White residents
report the highest non-use of every
service (e.g., 68% never use youth
programs), while Black or African American
residents are consistently the most
frequent users — an equity pattern worth
exploring alongside where facilities are
located.
Never use
Services White Black or African
American Hispanic/Latino Asian
Library services 48% 33% 37% 39%
Recreation programs or facilities 52% 30% 42% 41%
Y outh-specific programs 68% 40% 54% 56%
Transportation is a barrier to participation, especially for younger and Black or African American residents
Q9: To what extent do you find transportation to be a barrier for participating in City programs and services provided by the Community Services Department? [single select, N=608] Four in ten residents (41%) say
transportation is a moderate-to-major
barrier to participating in City
programs. The burden falls unevenly: it
drops sharply with age — from 54%
among residents 18–34 to just 23%
among those 55+ — and is felt most
acutely by Black or African American
(58%) and Hispanic/Latino (49%)
residents, versus 32% of White
residents. This tracks with younger
residents' emphasis on transit access
(Q8) and points to siting and mobility,
not just awareness, as a determinant of
who can actually reach services.
City Services and Programs
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Stockton, CA
Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
August 2026
Q9: Responses: A moderate amount or a great deal
Average
= 41%
Social media and word of mouth are how residents learn about City services
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Community Engagement
Social media (58%) and word of mouth (43%) far outpace official channels. The City website (23%), local news (22%), and flyers (19%) trail well behind. Social media leads across every age group — even among residents 55+ (55%) — while flyers reach younger residents more than older ones. A digital-first approach with a word-of-mouth amplification strategy would match how residents already look for information.
Q13: How do you usually find out about City services, programs, and events offered by CSD? [select up to three, N=608]
Stockton, CA
Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
August 2026
Social media Flyers CBOs
18−34 64% 24% 18%
35−54 53% 21% 12%
55+ 55% 10% 13%
Residents overwhelmingly prefer digital surveys for sharing feedback Powered byPowered byPowered byPowered by
Community Engagement
Q14: In what way would you most prefer to share your feedback about community programs with the City in the future? [select up to two, N=608] Stockton, CA
Community Needs & Measure M Pulse
August 2026
Digital
surveys
Small group
discussions
Facilitated
conversations
18−34 57% 22% 18%
35−54 60% 16% 19%
55+ 77% 9% 9%
Digital surveys like this one are the clear preferred feedback channel (64%), well ahead of in-person options like pop-up events (24%) and neighborhood forums (23%). The preference for digital rises with age, reaching 77% among residents 55+. In-person and small-group formats still hold a meaningful minority, so a digital-primary approach with targeted in-person options would capture the widest range of voices.
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