In December 2025, the City of Sierra Madre partnered with FM3 Research, an independent public opinion research firm working with The Lew Edwards Group, to conduct a comprehensive community issues survey. The purpose of the survey was to better understand resident priorities, service needs, and perceptions of City services as the City continues its budget planning and long-term financial modeling.
The survey results provide valuable insight into what matters most to Sierra Madre residents and how the community views City leadership, local services, and financial needs.
Survey Overview
The survey was conducted between December 1 and December 10, 2025, and included responses from 309 registered Sierra Madre voters. The survey has a margin of error of ±5.7% at a 95% confidence level.
To ensure broad participation, the survey was offered in English and Spanish and used multiple contact methods, including text invitations, telephone calls, email invitations, telephone interviews, and online surveys.
Community Satisfaction and Overall Mood
Survey results show that Sierra Madre residents hold strongly positive views about their community and City leadership.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents (62%) believe Sierra Madre is headed in the right direction — a markedly more positive outlook than Los Angeles County overall. In addition, 65% of residents give the City government favorable performance ratings.
Top Community Concerns
While overall satisfaction is high, residents clearly identified several significant challenges facing the community.
The threat posed by wildfires stands out as the most serious concern, with 80% of respondents describing it as an extremely or very serious problem. The cost of living is also a major issue, cited by 58% of residents, followed by concerns about the condition of city streets, sidewalks, and roads (40%).
These results reflect heightened awareness of wildfire risk and infrastructure needs, particularly following recent regional fire events.
Views on City Funding Needs
A majority of residents believe additional resources are needed to maintain City services.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents say the City of Sierra Madre has a great or some need for additional funding. The Fire Department is seen as having the greatest need, with 57% indicating additional funding is necessary, while 37% believe the Police Department needs additional resources.
A hypothetical parcel tax ballot measure was also included in the survey and it did not meet the required two-thirds threshold for passage to support ongoing funding needs for community service priorities.
Service Priorities
When asked to rate the importance of various City services, residents consistently prioritized public safety, emergency preparedness, and infrastructure maintenance.
The highest-rated services include:
- Protecting safe, clean water
- Maintaining brush clearing and wildfire prevention
- Maintaining firefighter and paramedic staffing levels
- Maintaining the City’s emergency reserve fund for natural disasters
- Keeping the Sierra Madre Fire Station open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Preventing firefighter and paramedic layoffs
- Repairing potholes, streets, and sidewalks
- Maintaining local control of 911 emergency response
These findings underscore the community’s strong emphasis on wildfire preparedness, emergency response, and the maintenance of essential infrastructure.
How the Survey Will Be Used
The community survey results will help inform the City’s ongoing budget development, fiscal modeling, and long-term planning efforts. While residents express high satisfaction with City services overall, the survey highlights clear priorities for future investment — particularly in wildfire prevention, emergency services, and infrastructure maintenance.
The feedback gathered through this process will assist City leadership in making informed, transparent decisions that reflect community values and needs.
Download the Survey Results
A complete presentation of the survey results is available for download below.
Survey Results Presentation (PDF) – full slide deck of survey findings
Consultant Summary Memo (PDF) -analysis and interpretation by FM3 Research and The Lew Edwards Group