Life is good in Red Deer, according to the results of the 2017 Citizen Satisfaction Survey.
A whopping 97 per cent of local citizens described their quality of life in the city is “good” or “very good” in an Ipsos sample survey of 300 Red Deer residents.
Of these respondents, 69 per cent said their life has improved or stayed the same in the past three years.
Ninety-two per cent of surveyed residents were satisfied with the overall level of city services, while 80 per cent felt they received good or very good value for their tax dollars.
A total of 87 per cent were overall satisfied with the way the City of Red Deer is run.
However, there are indications that not everything is hunky-dory since crime, transportation and social issues were identified as priorities the city should be addressing over the next year.
This presents a change from past years when road maintenance and snow clearing were big concerns. City Manager Craig Curtis said this indicates that the city has successfully addressed these issues.
Mayor Tara Veer believes concern about crime and social issues is linked to the economic slump in this area.
“Our citizens’ top-of-mind priorities … will continue to be addressed by City Council during budget deliberations, including a focus on community safety in our downtown, and our community as a whole, and an investment in transportation improvements,” said Veer.
Cracking down on property crime was also a top priority in the latest annual policing plan, released on Thursday. Supt. Ken Foster said officers will be more of a presence at the scene of break-ins. But he noted Red Deer is among Alberta’s busiest police detachments, so residents need to be proactive.
He warned citizens to avoid leaving purses, wallets or any personal information in closed or locked vehicles, since identity theft and fraud have been a growing concern.
More survey information is available at www.reddeer.ca.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com