Survey says Frederictonians very positive about their City and municipal services (February 8, 2010)

Fredericton is an excellent place to live and residents are very positive about the provision of municipal government services. That is the finding of the City of Fredericton’s 2009 Citizen Attitude Survey, which was presented to City Council for the first time on February 8, 2010.

The survey also indicates that citizens continue to feel Fredericton is a safe city and have a positive outlook when it comes to economic growth and development. They give all city departments high marks when it comes to the delivery of services and programs.

This includes strong support for police and fire, as well as for services like garbage and recycling, water and sewer services, and spring and fall clean-ups. Residents also feel the City is doing a good job preserving historic buildings, promoting the city as a tourism destination, and supporting the arts.

Areas of less satisfaction include traffic enforcement, snow removal on sidewalks and streets, road maintenance, as well as bylaw enforcement in the areas of animal control, noise control,and unsightly premises.

Fredericton’s walking trail network is by far the City’s most popular recreational facility. There is strong support for the City’s public transit system and the municipality’s green initiatives.

The telephone remains as the main method for contacting the City, while use of the City’s web site remains stable. City employees are most often reported as being “friendly and courteous.” Overall, the City is perceived as a quality organization that operates efficiently and provides services fairly to residents.

The primary objectives of the Citizen Attitude Survey were to access perceptions of the City, satisfaction with City services, determine ways to stay informed, and determine the main issues facing the City. The survey was conducted by MarketQuest Research with a random sample of 403 city residents, between November 10 and 18, 2009. The overall margin of error for the survey is +/- 4.86% at the 95% confidence level (19 times out of 20).

The City has conducted a bi-annual Citizen Attitude Survey since 1985.