Kelowna’s 2020 Citizen Survey showed residents view social issues such as homelessness as a priority on the public agenda.
The study, which is based on a tiny but representative sample (300) of adults in the city, was completed last month by multinational Ipsos.
Most of the data appears to be good news for the city of Kelowna, with large majorities expressing satisfaction with their lives and community services.
However, most of the respondents also stated that the quality of life in the city has either decreased or remained the same. Only 22% said it had improved.
The highlights of the survey include:
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92% of residents rate the quality of life as very good or good
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91% of residents are satisfied with the overall level and quality of city services
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87% of residents describe Kelowna as safe
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79% of residents say they get good value for their taxes
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53% of residents prefer the city to levy taxes to improve or maintain services
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85% of those who have contacted or dealt with the city in the past 12 months are satisfied with all the service they have received
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89% of citizens agree that through its services and programs, the city promotes a city that includes and accepts everyone
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The main mentions from residents about the qualities and characteristics that are used to describe their ideal city are:
“The results of the citizen survey are consistent with the resources we have allocated over the past few years to address social issues and transportation in our community,” said Mayor Colin Basran.
“The timing of the report is ideal as it will help adjust our priorities for the remainder of this council term and give staff an insight into the perception of service delivery and citizen satisfaction.”
Social issues (46%) and transport (22%) were the main mentions when the public agenda was discussed during the survey.
The COVID-19 pandemic (8%), Growth and Development (7%), and the Economy (7%) were secondary mentions.
Kelowna is still considered a safe city (87%).
The five most important investment priorities of the residents include coping with social problems, promoting a diverse range of housing options, drinking water, police and fire services.
The residents continue to prioritize the “renewal of the existing infrastructure” (64%) over the “new construction” (34%).
“What we’ve heard is that Kelowna continues to be a great place to live, where the majority of people feel safe and enjoy our parks and sports fields, our bike paths, and the general cleanliness of the community,” said Basran.
“We also recognize that there are areas we need to continue to pay attention to and we must continue to invest in Journey Home and work with our partners at Interior Health, BC Housing and others.”
The survey was completed between September 1st and 15th and weighted by gender, age and neighborhood.
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