Residents generally happy with Town but Council approval rating below 50%

by Tristan Turner
Morinville News Correspondent

Morinville’s Council got a look into residents’ minds, complaints, and likes following the results of the 2016 Morinville Resident Survey. The survey saw 135 responses (about 4%) and was completed from May 15 to June 30. The survey was the first of this type commissioned since 2009.

The survey asked questions about general satisfaction with Town facilities and services on a scale one to ten, which were consistently in the two-thirds approval rating range. Additionally, the survey asked residents if they pay Town bills or interact with Town services online or through legacy means, with an approximate 50/50 split. Three-quarters of residents responded yes to a question asking if they would renew or apply for dog licenses online, if available.

The vast majority of residents also seem to be coming into contact frequently with the town, with three-quarters of respondents saying they’ve been in contact with the Town sometime in the last year.

When it came to a question about whether or not residents got good value for their property taxes, a slim majority said yes, with 51.5% of respondents rating 5 or above on the 10-point scale. Another 14% put themselves down as a 4, showing only slight dissatisfaction.

Council themselves were also rated in the survey, with satisfaction being a pretty even split. Only 49.3% believed Council effectively plans for the future of the community. Slightly more residents (52.4%) feel Council is acting in the best interests of the community as a whole. Council got the lowest marks (46%) on the question of whether or not the survey taker’s personal interests were being served by Town Council.

When it came to general questions about the Town, residents were relatively positive. Residents gave a 64.5% approval of the quality of life in Town, and when it comes to whether or not residents felt safe, 72.5% responded positively.

Council unanimously accepted the report for information as presented by Felicity Bergman, Communications Coordinator with the Town, who explained that this survey will become the basis for future survey’s, now to be completed annually. The project was budgeted for $1500 but came in well under half at $600.44, not including staff time.

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1 Comment

  1. I don’t recall receiving an invite in the mail or seeing any advertising around town for this survey. I would have loved to have provided my input. With only 135 responses in a town of 10,000, I wonder how well advertised this survey was….

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