Residents report good quality of life in Red Deer: survey

October 5, 2009

(Red Deer, Alberta) – According to a 2009 Ipsos Reid municipal survey, 94 per cent of residents feel quality of life in Red Deer is good.

The majority of respondents reported quality of life as good to very good because they believe Red Deer is a first-rate community and they enjoy living here. The other major reasons cited include good amenities/services, low crime rates, and cleanliness of the municipality.

“Quality of life looks different for everyone,” said Mayor Morris Flewwelling. “It is promising that citizens rate their quality of life so highly because of how much they enjoy living in Red Deer.”

Perceptions of The City of Red Deer’s financial planning were also measured. Eighty three per cent of respondents were satisfied with the value they receive for their tax dollar. Ninety-one per cent were satisfied with the overall level and quality of City services.

“It’s a balancing act. We need to manage the needs of citizens and our fiscal responsibility,” said City Manager, Craig Curtis. “This is especially true now when the economy is not as robust as it was. Residents want to be sure they are getting good value for their tax dollars.”

When asked about The City’s effort to balance taxation with service delivery, 46 per cent of respondents would support maintaining or reducing taxes by cutting services. Thirty nine per cent favoured increasing taxes to maintain or expand services. This is the first time since 2006 that more citizens would prefer The City of Red Deer cut services rather than increase taxes.

Crime continues to be the most important issue for residents. Transportation issues also continue to grow while social concerns have been dropping steadily since 2007.

“Surveys are one of the tools we use to gauge how residents feel about the direction The City is taking,” said Curtis. “The data is useful for benchmarking and understanding the level of satisfaction with City services, programs and initiatives. We can then use this data for more effective future planning.”

From August 4 to 8, 2009, the Municipal Quality of Life and Financial Planning 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 fourth consecutive year The City participated in the survey.

Survey results and more information are available online at www.reddeer.ca.

Q & A Backgrounder attached.

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For more information, please contact:

Craig Curtis
City Manager
The City of Red Deer
403-342-8154