Every headline seems to tell the same story: inflation is crushing families, government is broken, the American dream is slipping away, and taxes are too high. Against that backdrop, it’s natural for public agencies to question whether local opinion research still matters—or whether community sentiment simply mirrors the national mood.

The reality is that local polling cuts through national noise.

Polling gives policymakers and communicators confidence grounded in real, local data. When agencies learn that satisfaction with parks, libraries, public safety, utilities, and other core services remains strong, they gain permission to be bold, shifting the narrative from national pessimism to community resilience.

This session explores how cities, counties, and special districts have used polling and resident research to highlight local successes, counter negative assumptions, build momentum for tax measures, and clearly communicate value. Through real-world examples, attendees will see how polling becomes the foundation for more credible storytelling, stronger policy conversations, and more effective public engagement.

What You’ll Learn

• Participants will leave this session with practical insights into how local research can reshape communications and decision-making, including how to:
• Use polling to distinguish local sentiment from national political and economic narratives
• Translate research findings into clear, compelling stories for residents and policymakers
• Build confidence and momentum for tax increases and ballot measures using data
• Demonstrate community value by highlighting satisfaction with core public services
• Shift conversations from “everything is broken” to “here’s what’s working—and why it matters”

Speakers

Adam Probolsky
President
Probolsky Research

Jaina French 
Community Relations                                                                         
City Manager’s Office, City of Napa

Date: February 25, 2026
Time: 1:00 to 2:00 PM

Register

Cost: $30 CAPIO members/Free for Professional+/$45 non-members

Speaker Bios

Adam Probolsky

Adam Probolsky is president of Probolsky Research; a non-partisan, Latina- and woman-owned, market and opinion research firm with association, corporate, election, government, and non-profit clients. He has advised on hundreds of projects across the U.S. on branding, crisis communications, education, elections, marketing, public affairs, public policy, and outreach.

Adam was both a finance and planning commissioner for the City of Irvine, chairman of the Irvine Valley College Foundation, Orange County Waste & Recycling Commissioner, and a member of the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Environmental Mitigation and Oversight Committee. He was a board member for Jewish Family Service of Orange County, a non-profit that helps people of all faiths. He was a reserve member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, serving as a spokesperson, and wrote a weekly newspaper column in the Orange County Register for four years. 

Adam earned his master’s degree in data analytics and visualization from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore Maryland. He grew up in New Jersey and has lived in Irvine, California for more than thirty years. He is married with three children.

Jaina French

Bio coming soon!