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By Abby Zieverink
Citizen Satisfaction Survey

Quality of life survey shows 96 per cent of County residents satisfied

Jan 10, 2022 | 2:17 PM

The County of Grande Prairie says a recent survey found 96 per cent of its residents were satisfied with their quality of life in the county.

The Citizen Satisfaction Survey conducted, was similar to ones conducted in 2011 and 2014. The sample size for this survey was 320 randomly selected County of Grande Prairie residents who completed the telephone survey between November 3 and 22, 2021.

With this being the third survey conducted, Deputy Reeve Peter Harris says the high levels of continued satisfaction seen in several of the categories is reaffirming.

“Knowing with certainty that Council and administration are on the right track as we work toward addressing our residents’ priorities is vital to our strategic planning.”

The survey report included categories including quality of life, areas of success, safety, services and programs, highest levels of individual satisfaction, internet connectivity, growth management/value for taxes, top priorities, intermunicipal collaboration and county operations.

Highlights from the survey as the county reported include:

Quality of Life: 96 per cent of residents rated their quality of life as very good or good, with 95 per cent expressing pride in being a County resident.

Areas of Success: 86 per cent of residents say the County has been successful at encouraging economic development, while 76 per cent noted the County’s success in developing a financial framework with a fair tax rate system. Also, 74 per cent voted in agreement with the county’s effective service delivery using innovative tools.

Safety: 86 per cent of residents felt the county overall is a safe region.

Services and Programs: 82 per cent of residents were satisfied with the services and programs in the county, which administration says is on par with 2014 results showing an 86 per cent satisfaction rate.

Highest Levels of Individual Satisfaction: Residents provided top marks to fire services (93 per cent), campgrounds (85 per cent), maintenance and cleaning of ditches (82 per cent), financial support to non-profits (82 per cent) and agricultural services (80 per cent). Notably, Support Services for Seniors (73 per cent) saw a nine-point increase over 2014 data.

Internet Connectivity: A new topic in this year’s survey with 47 per cent of residents saying their needs are met in regards to internet connectivity in the region.

Growth Management/Value for Taxes: Administration says survey results are on par with 2014 data, with 78 per cent of residents agreeing that the County is doing a good job managing the level of growth and development in the County. Overall, 55% per cent of residents indicate they receive good value for the municipal portion of their property tax bill.

Top Priorities: Residents prioritized road conditions (50 per cent), taxes/high taxes (10 per cent), followed by crime (5 per cent). The county says road conditions have consistently been the leading top-of-mind community issue, which is similar to 2014 survey results.

Inter-municipal Collaboration: This was identified as important by 91 per cent of those surveyed, with 80 per cent expressing satisfaction with the County’s joint service provision efforts.

County Operations: In terms of total satisfaction with Council and Administration as a whole, the County ranked higher than municipal norms at 83 per cent versus 77 per cent average in other municipalities.

“A municipality must be forward-thinking,” said Deputy Reeve Harris.

“As we set future direction, this survey will be an essential tool to help define our strengths and identify areas for improvement. Feedback from our citizens is key in our ongoing efforts to improve programs and services to meet their diverse and changing needs.”

by Abby Zieverink