Lebanon Residents Speak: Affordability, Infrastructure and Jobs Rise to the Top of Community Concerns

Lebanon Now recently asked a simple question: What are your top three concerns about Lebanon, Missouri?

Residents responded with concerns ranging from utility bills and taxes to traffic, jobs, stray animals, schools, homelessness, government transparency and the future of the community.

After reviewing the responses, three broad topics were mentioned repeatedly: affordability and the cost of living, roads and transportation, and jobs and economic opportunity.

This was not a scientific poll, and the responses do not represent every resident of Lebanon. They do, however, provide a look at some of the concerns shared by those who participated.

1. Affordability and the Cost of Living

The cost of living came up repeatedly in the responses, including concerns about utilities, taxes, fuel prices and household expenses.

Trina included “general affordability for the community” among her top concerns.

Jason specifically pointed to the cost of electricity inside Lebanon city limits.

“Electricity needs major reducing in CITY LIMITS price!” Jason wrote.

Peggy questioned sewer costs.

“I would love to know why the sewer rate in Lebanon is so high,” Peggy wrote.

Fuel prices were another concern.

“Why is Lebanon usually the last town to drop their gas prices?” Jim asked.

Kathy included “higher property taxes” among her three concerns.

Janet raised the broader issue of household income keeping pace with expenses.

“The cost of living keeps going up but paychecks/SS/private retirement hasn’t,” Janet wrote.

While residents pointed to different expenses, affordability was a recurring subject throughout the responses.

2. Roads, Traffic and Transportation

Traffic and transportation also appeared repeatedly, with residents mentioning congestion, sidewalks, crosswalks and the possibility of a truck bypass.

Marlene included “traffic down Jefferson” among her concerns.

Theresa mentioned “people making left turns to outside lane.”

Ronnie questioned why Lebanon does not have a truck bypass.

“I would like to know why we don’t have a truck bypass,” Ronnie wrote, adding that he believes one “would make getting around a lot easier.”

Limo also mentioned a bypass among the changes he would like to see in Lebanon.

Pedestrian access and safety were part of the transportation discussion as well.

Sammi raised concerns about the lack of sidewalks along busy roads, particularly in areas used by students traveling toward the high school.

Daisy also mentioned the lack of a safe passage or sidewalk for people walking near Genesis and toward nearby businesses.

Matt raised a concern about students at crosswalks.

“The fact school buses fail to yield at crosswalks when kids are waiting to cross,” Matt wrote.

Together, the responses included concerns from both drivers and pedestrians about moving around Lebanon.

3. Jobs and Economic Opportunity

Employment was another recurring topic, particularly the availability of higher-paying and long-term job opportunities.

Kathy listed “the lack of high quality job opportunities” among her concerns.

“Factory work, retail, and food services is about all we offer. Those jobs won’t keep our kids here,” Kathy wrote.

Limo also mentioned the need for “more factory or higher paying jobs.”

Ellen raised the issue of employment opportunities for people looking for work that is less physically demanding. In her response, she recalled the types of jobs once available at H.D. Lee.

“Lee’s raised families for generations,” Ellen wrote.

The comments about employment varied, but jobs, wages and the types of opportunities available locally were recurring concerns among respondents.

Other Issues Residents Raised

Several other topics appeared throughout the responses.

Stray animals and access to affordable spay, neuter and vaccination services were mentioned by multiple residents.

Diane listed “all the stray animals” among her concerns.

Phyllis called for “a TNR program, and affordable options for people to spay/neuter/vaccinate their pets.”

Amber also included an animal control division and TNR program among her concerns. Her response also raised concerns about foster children, foster homes and staffing at the Children’s Division.

Homelessness, addiction and crime were also included in responses.

Government communication and transparency were another concern for some residents.

Dennis listed an “extreme lack of government communication and accountability.”

Sammi wrote that a “lack of transparency between our officials in all parts of the city and citizens is a big problem too.”

Amanda raised concerns about what she described as “potential going to waste in favor of personal wants of the city council.”

The Cowan Civic Center and YMCA were also mentioned. Steve questioned the possibility of the City operating the recreation portion of the facility and asked why changes could not instead be negotiated with the YMCA.

Other responses included concerns about schools, school taxes, assistance for seniors, affordable home repairs, entertainment options and public safety.

Some residents focused on the way people communicate with each other.

Jeffrey listed “the fact that anger has become normalized” among his concerns, adding that disagreements over one or two issues can lead to someone treating another person as “a mortal enemy.”

Trina also mentioned “negative attitudes and argumentativeness that detracts from the quality and potential of our community.”

The responses covered a wide range of subjects, and residents did not always agree on what Lebanon’s biggest problems are or what should be done about them.

Based strictly on the responses Lebanon Now received, affordability, transportation and jobs were among the most frequently recurring themes. Other issues, from animals and homelessness to schools and government communication, also received significant attention from those who participated.

Tell us what you think. What concerns are you facing in Lebanon and what issues do you think deserve more attention? You can submit your thoughts here or join the conversation on any of our social media pages. TikTok or Facebook