Rocky View County Citizen Satisfaction Survey Results are now available. The survey was conducted in the spring of 2022 to better understand the experiences, views, and priorities of residents.
What We Heard
Our What We Heard report (PDF) provides an overview of the feedback we received.
Citizen Satisfaction Summary (PDF)
We are committed to open, transparent communication, and have also published the full report (PDF) from the consultant, Leger.
2022 Citizen Satisfaction Full Report (PDF)
Key Findings and Recommendations
Key Findings and Recommendations within the 2022 Citizen Satisfaction Survey Report are:
Quality of Life
- Most residents feel they have a good/very good quality of life (89%) in Rocky View County and that it has stayed consistent over the past three years (70% agree).
- Among those who feel their quality of life improved (8%), having a good lifestyle/country living was the top reason (25%). Among those who feel their quality has worsened, the top reasons were traffic congestion/closed roads/diverting routes (35%) and overdevelopment/urban sprawl (18%).
- Residents in Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 are significantly more likely to rate their overall quality of life as good/very good compared to those living in Divisions 5, 6, 7.
Perception of County and Community
- The majority of residents would recommend Rocky View County as a place to live (80%) and are proud to live there (76%).
- Only about half feel satisfied with their opportunities to connect with other people in the county (52%), and less than half agree that the County fosters an inclusive community (41%). Female residents are more likely to be dissatisfied with their opportunities to connect with other people (20% vs. 13% of males).
Key Issues and Improvements
- Key issues that residents believe should receive the greatest attention are planning for future growth and development, over development, and issues with addressing crime and crime prevention.
Programs and Services
- Residents of Rocky View County are mixed on their level of overall satisfaction with the quality of services and programs (49% satisfied), suggesting an opportunity to improve the quality of various services and programs.
- Satisfaction is lowest with planning services (46%), road maintenance (26%), and municipal enforcement (26%).
- The main reason for dissatisfaction with planning services, is council not representing their community/lack of engagement opportunities with Council and overdevelopment/a concern for preserving the country lifestyle.
Value for Tax Dollars
- Residents have mixed feelings about the value they are receiving from their municipal property tax dollars, and there is an opportunity to convince those who are neutral (33%) to feel more positively.
- Just over a third feel they are getting good value (37%), while 28% feel they are getting poor value.
Information and Communication
- Providing too much information, rather than too little, will likely keep residents happy. They are split on feeling they either receive too little information (50%) or just the right amount (50%), and none feel they receive ‘too much’ information.
- Ensuring information is available and easily accessible for new developments and construction in the area (91%), County service updates (78%), Council decisions and meeting updates (76%), and local events and opportunities (71%), is recommended as these are the most important types of information to residents.
- Having both online and offline forms of communications is critical as just over one quarter (27%) of residents’ report having poor/very poor internet access.
Resident Engagement
- While most residents are providing their input on issues of importance (70%) and feel that they have the opportunity to voice their opinions (52%), few feel their feedback is taken into account for decisions (31%) and that they hear how their input affects decisions (23%).
- Providing more transparency on how feedback is used and how it impacts decisions will likely make residents feel that their feedback is valued and heard.
Council and County Staff
- Overall, residents have very positive perceptions of Rocky View County staff, however, there is an opportunity to educate residents about the various roles and responsibilities, as awareness is low.
- About half of residents feel they have a good/very good understanding of the roles and responsibilities of elected council representatives (49%) and county employees (48%).
- Despite fairly positive perceptions, there may be an opportunity to improve the consistency of providing quality service and the ability to meet diverse needs, as these perceptions have lower agreement.
Benchmarks to Rural Alberta
- Rocky View County residents are on par with the Rural Alberta benchmark for overall satisfaction with quality of programs and services. The county is also on par for perceived value received from municipal property tax dollars.
- Programs and services where Rocky View County falls particularly farther below the Rural Alberta Benchmark, cemeteries (21 vs. benchmark), garbage (19), and parks, pathways, and playgrounds (16).
It is important to recognize that the Citizen Satisfaction Survey also collects data on topics that are beyond the sole responsibility of Rocky View County. As reflected in the survey findings, some of the most important issues facing the County today, such as urban sprawl and crime prevention, require a collaborative response and are not the sole purview of one organization or level of government.
Overall, the 2022 Citizen Satisfaction Survey demonstrates the County’s commitment to citizen engagement and provides a valuable benchmark for capturing statistically valid, measured, and comprehensive data. Over time, the Citizen Satisfaction Survey will be refined to measure the impact of the strategic plan priorities and support improved data-based decision making with respect to resource and budget allocation more precisely.