Lawrence city commissioners can’t have too much information about what the public wants and needs from its city government.

Commissioners will consider tonight whether to approve spending just under $30,000 for a random survey to gather public input from about 2,500 city residents on a variety of topics. The survey, which could help commissioners set priorities for future projects, seems like a good investment.

It’s true that commissioners hold public meetings and talk to lots of people, but a formal survey offers a more studied approach to gathering public opinion. Similar surveys were conducted in 2007 and 2011. The concern that respondents voiced in the 2007 survey about the condition of city streets was a factor in the city’s decision to seek a sales tax increase, which was approved in 2008, to improve street maintenance.

The survey proposed for this year would seek the public’s opinions on many aspects of city operations. It asks how satisfied residents are with various city services from public safety to parks and recreation. It asks what they think about communications and transportation in the city and what their perceptions are about downtown Lawrence and the city as a whole.

It also asks respondents to help the city set priorities in various areas including major city services, maintenance services, transportation and parks and recreation programs. People responding to the survey will be asked to supply demographic information, including their approximate ages and their ZIP codes. There’s also space at the end for respondents to add “other comments.”

The survey would be conducted by ETC Institute of Olathe. ETC also conducted the 2007 and 2011 surveys, and the city presumably has confidence in the firm’s methods and results. To maximize responses to the mailed survey, ETC plans to follow up with telephone calls and provide an online option to answer the questions. City officials hope the survey can be completed within the next month or so to allow results to be part of the city’s 2016 budget discussions.

Surveys can’t set a specific direction for the city, but, especially if several are conducted over time, they can provide a general read on what the public is concerned about and where the city might concentrate its efforts. As noted above, it’s not the only way for commissioners to gauge public opinion, but it is another tool in the box and a valid investment for the city.