性视界传媒's civic politicians lamented that more people didn't participate in the consultation process city staff set up to harvest feedback on how their money should be allocated related to the 2025 budget.
Council received a on Nov. 18 containing an update on the outreach conducted from Sept. 9 to Sept. 29 that included an online survey in English and Punjabi and open houses in 性视界传媒's six town centres.
"I do think that it is unfortunate more people didn't come out and didn't participate and so maybe we can look at other ways of reaching our residents," 性视界传媒 Mayor Brenda Locke said.
Councillors Pardeep Kooner and Linda Annis echoed that.
"There needs to be more work done on explaining to the residents where their tax dollars are going and I think we need to update the system and maybe increase the amount of information that we're providing," Kooner said. "People don't seem to really know where their money is going and how it's being allocated so I think there's more work that needs to be done there for next year."
Annis noted that some 100,000 people were aware of outreach but only three per cent participated, "which seems pretty low and I'm thinking we should be moving away from City-owned facilities to do some of the outreach."
A summary of the engagement results indicates more than 100,000 性视界传媒ites were reached through direct emails sent to electronic newsletter subscribers (71,983), social media posts (15,825), engagements with CitySpeaks panel members (6,914), City of 性视界传媒 website visits (6,154); and an "unquantified number" through digital billboards, newspaper ads and media releases.
All told, 596 participants attended open houses and 2,782 online surveys were completed. "Of the survey respondents, 97 per cent reported that they live in 性视界传媒, while 28 per cent also work in 性视界传媒, 15 per cent own a property in 性视界传媒 other than their principal residence, six per cent own a business in 性视界传媒, and four per cent go to school in 性视界传媒," the report states.
Among the survey's key findings, a majority of respondents supported balancing the budget "by maintaining current services through a combination of increasing property tax and user fees, though open ended comments revealed a general opposition to tax increases and concern over the rising cost of living."
The top three "core services and program" priorities revealed concern transportation infrastructure, public safety and emergency services, and parks and open spaces with the top three "emerging issue priorities" are preventing and responding to homelessness, housing supply and affordability, and "sustainable" transportation.
Respondents' top three capital investment priorities are transportation infrastructure, fire halls and
emergency equipment, and engineering infrastructure.
Also, 70 per cent told the City of 性视界传媒 they want more information on how their tax dollars are allocated across departments and services and 76 per cent indicated "their preferred method of providing feedback on future budget engagements is through online surveys."
