Newmarket residents indicate high satisfaction with town, survey says

YorkRegion.com
January 2, 2019
Teresa Latchford

The results are in and 95 per cent of Newmarket residents are satisfied living in the municipality.

The 2018 Community Survey, conducted by the town and MDB Insight, shows four-out-of-five residents are satisfied with overall service levels.

“The feedback received from the community survey results support Newmarket’s reputation as one of the best places to live in Canada, according to MoneySense Magazine,” mayor John Taylor said. “This public input will help inform the new term of council as we set strategic priorities.”

The purpose of the survey was to gauge how satisfied and engaged with existing town services residents are. A total of 808 residents, accounting for fewer than one per cent of the town’s population of 84,224 residents, participated in the telephone survey, including cell phones, in an effort to ensure the sample was representative of the population.

The survey also concluded that 82 per cent of residents surveyed were satisfied with municipal government, an all-time high since the annual survey was first conducted in 2014. It also found 85 per cent felt they were receiving at least fair value for their tax dollars and user fees spent in support of town services, four-out-of-five residents are satisfied with overall service levels provided by the municipality, especially in quality of service and delivery and there was a very large increase in satisfaction levels were seen in several service areas around the organization.

“Town staff has a strong commitment to customer service excellence and we are pleased to see positive results around our overall service levels reflected in the survey,” acting CAO Esther Armchuk said. “Staff will continue to deliver excellent services town-wide, make adjustments to areas where there is opportunity for improvement and continue to create an environment for extraordinary public service.”

The survey included a Citizen Engagement Index looking at resident level of engagement in the community. It included questions asking residents if they would recommend Newmarket as a place to live, if they plan to reside in town for the foreseeable future and if they often get involved in community activities. The result remained consistent with the 2014 level of 72 per cent.

For more information, visit newmarket.ca.