KAMLOOPS – Kamloops City Council received a presentation recently on the results of the 2022 Citizen Satisfaction Survey, which was conducted by Forum Research Inc. between October 18 and November 8, 2022.
The Citizen Satisfaction Survey is conducted every four years, with the previous one completed in 2019. Using telephone interviews with randomly selected residents representing the community’s demographics, the survey addresses a wide range of subjects and provides a detailed assessment of citizens’ attitudes, needs, priorities, and satisfaction levels with City services and their overall quality of life. This research ultimately helps guide the City in making decisions regarding planning, budgeting, and issues management.
Key highlights:
- 83 per cent of residents feel that their quality of life is good, which is on par with other Canadian municipalities surveyed in the last two years.
- Residents continue to appreciate Kamloops’ great weather, citing it as the top quality that makes Kamloops a good place to live, followed by availability of amenities and proximity to green spaces.
- 90 per cent of residents are satisfied with the programs and services for recreation and sport, which is consistent with 2019 results.
- 71 per cent of residents feel that they receive good value for their tax dollars, and 57 per cent of residents would support some level of tax increase to maintain, enhance, or expand services.
While the survey indicates a generally positive level of satisfaction with overall quality of life in Kamloops, it does show that satisfaction levels have declined since 2019—a trend that has been observed in communities nationwide as the country emerges from a global pandemic.
Many of the areas identified as the most important facing the community—such as homelessness, crime/safety, housing, and healthcare—are symptoms of the housing and opioid crises being faced across the country. Previous Councils have lobbied other levels of government for action relating to these areas that fall outside of the municipal jurisdiction.
The full report will provide valuable insight to aid Mayor and Council in developing their Council Strategic Plan later this month and is available to the public at Kamloops.ca/CitizenSatisfaction2022.
Business Examiner Submitted