According to a 2012 Ipsos Reid Citizen Satisfaction Survey, 98% of citizens feel quality of life in Red Deer is good to very good.
The majority of citizens stated that growth and development in the city, employment and job opportunities, and good amenities and services all contributed to their quality of life.
Questions run the gamut from how folks feel about value for their municipal tax dollars, the most important issues facing the City, overall level and quality of service, management of City infrastructure assets and citizen priorities and expectations.
“Quality of life can mean a number of things,” said Mayor Morris Flewwelling. “It’s good to see people are happy living in Red Deer, and that the City can provide some of the amenities that make this such a great community in which we live.”
Transportation was top of mind this year, with 51% of Red Deerians reporting it was the most important issue facing the community.
Results will help the City administration, City council and the Mayor stay in touch with residents and make sure projects and initiatives are headed in the right direction.
“This is one of the tools we have available to gauge what is most important to the community,” said City Manager Craig Curtis.
When asked about all the programs and services received from the City, 84% of Red Deerians felt they received good value for their tax dollar.
“We need to balance the desires of the community with the financial reality of the economy,” said Curtis. “It’s a balancing act between doing what the community wants us to do, and doing what we need to do to keep city services at a sustainable level.”
City services are used by residents on a daily basis, and 53% of Red Deerians would support increasing taxes to enhance or maintain services. Thirty per cent favoured cutting services to maintain or reduce taxes.
Other highlights included questions about the downtown core. When asked about the City’s downtown, the most important aspects Red Deerians wanted to see were more shopping opportunities outside of working hours, more green and park spaces and evening and dining options.
Also, the City’s financial and budget information is the most important information residents want to be provided with, according to the survey. Other areas that were mentioned include community planning, land use, community updates and roads and transportation.
Of those survey3ed, 21% felt that the quality of life has improved in Red Deer because we are growing and developing. Sixteen per cent attributed the increase to good job opportunities, and 11% thought a low crime rate and improved policing was reason for the increase in quality of life.
Red Deerians also recognized the City’s parks, green spaces, recreation facilities and good amenities as contributing factors for the quality of life.
From May 8 to May 17, the Citizen Satisfaction Survey was administered by Ipsos Reid. It was conducted by telephone to a randomly selected sample of 300 residents aged 18 years or older. This is the seventh consecutive year the City participated in the survey.
-Weber
