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OVERVIEW
On February 28, 2006, an 8 page survey was mailed to 1200
randomly selected Saanich residents, asking them to share
their ideas and opinions about Saanich as a community, and
the District of Saanich as their municipal government. By
the March 15, 2006 response deadline, we had received 382
completed surveys, giving us a good response rate of 33%.
A similar survey mailed to Saanich
businesses received
a 28% response rate and is available separately. Both sets of results will be
used to guide our planning.
The complete report can be
downloaded in PDF format below. The report is also available
by contacting municipal staff at (250) 475-5415 or by e-mail.
SUMMARY OF RESULTS
Quality of Life
- Residents give very high ratings to quality
of life measures, such as the rating of Saanich as a place
to live, as a place to raise children, as a place to retire
or as a place to work. Over 93% rated quality of life as
good or very good, up from 87% in 2003.
- Over
84% of residents generally feel safe or very safe and secure
in their neighbourhoods.
- When asked to list
things they like about Saanich, residents most frequently
identify its central location, its quiet, friendly, safe
neighbourhoods, its great parks and trails network.
- When
asked to list things they dislike about Saanich, residents
most frequently identify transportation issues such as
congestion.
Service Delivery
- Of the 58 different local government services
that residents were asked to rate, 50 of them, or 86% percent,
met or exceeded citizen expectations.
- Residents
give an overall score of 66 out of 100 to municipal government
services.
- Residents give particularly high praise
to Saanich’s fire fighting, parks, trails, recreation
facilities and programs, and landscaping of public property.
- Conversely,
services that residents are the least satisfied with and
most concerned about include, ease of travel by bicycle,
sidewalk repair, building inspection / permits and by-law
enforcement. These themes are consistent with those reported
in 2003.
- Over 84% of residents use a Saanich municipal
park or trail several times per year or more. Contacting
Saanich Fire, attending a public meeting and the municipal
golf course are used the least frequently of services listed.
Local Government
- Residents continue to strongly prefer lower
property taxes and limited or no increase in services,
preferring instead that a greater percentage of revenue
be raised through user fees.
- When asked to allot
an imaginary $100 to a selection of 10 capital projects,
residents choose to allot the largest portion, $13.02,
to roads and traffic control, followed closely by parks
and trails at $11.15, the municipal water system at $10.81
and the sewer and drains system at $10.53.
- Saanich
residents clearly value their community newspaper and their
local daily newspaper as the two most important ways they
access, and engage in, municipal decision making processes.
- When
asked to give overall ratings of the performance and direction
of the District of Saanich, residents gave high marks of
over 70%, with less than 2% to 6% giving negative responses.
2003 Survey Results
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