While residents are happy with the quality of life in Moorpark, a voter poll says they would not support a bond measure or a business license tax to help pay for city services.

"There's a fairly significant block of conservative voters who are not in favor of any additional tax," said Hugh Riley, assistant city manager.

A phone survey was conducted last month to see what residents consider the most important city services and their satisfaction with those services, while also gauging the support of a citywide tax.

City officials say Moorpark cannot continue to maintain the level of service — including law enforcement, parks and street maintenance — without additional revenue.

The City Council is reviewing the results of the survey and will next give staff direction, Riley said.

When asked if they would support an annual tax increase to maintain and improve city services and facilities, 42 percent of those polled said they would vote yes on an annual increase of $32 per $100,000 in assessed property value. Voter support increased as the tested amounts dropped: 48 percent supported a $27 rate, 52 percent for $21, 60 percent for $15 and 64 percent for $9 a year.

The report notes there was an increase in support, from 34 percent to 41 percent, between two ballot tests after a brief simulated information campaign.

Of those polled, 41 percent could not think of any city service they were unhappy with, while the remaining were least satisfied with traffic safety, planning and land-use development, street maintenance and truck safety.

Moorpark residents reported a high satisfaction in the quality of life category, with a total satisfaction rate of 91 percent, with 24 percent somewhat and 68 percent very satisfied.

Residents were most satisfied with parks maintenance, open space and police services, with least one in 10 residents mentioning street maintenance, city facilities and solid waste management. Fifteen percent did not mention any city service, the report says.

The consultant who conducted and analyzed the survey, Godbe Research, said an organized education effort could increase voter support of a bond measure or assessment. The effort should emphasize the crucial services to voters, including police, parks, city streets and sidewalks as well as teen facilities.

The survey was taken over a one-week period in September and included about 400 respondents. The consultant segmented the sample by the three voting precincts. The purpose of the grouping was to see if there are different opinions in the three precincts.

Riley said the public might be willing to go for a special assessment for parks and police services.

To maintain the city's 15 parks, the parks assessment revenue is expected to be only 33 percent of how much the city projects to spend for the 2007-08 fiscal year.

The operational cost is expected to be about $1.9 million, with about $640,000 coming from a special assessment tax to homeowners, leaving the rest, $1.2 million, to the general fund.

General purpose revenues, such as property tax, sales tax and vehicle license fees, are the only significant source of revenue the city gets with no restrictions, and of that, 63 percent will be used on law enforcement services.

For the past four years, the city has needed to use reserve funds from the gas tax initiative and general fund to offset deficits for citywide landscaping and street lighting. An alternative to a tax could include an assessment for lighting and landscape.

"We can't keep funneling general fund revenues into assessment districts," Riley said.