"All-time low": New report finds Calgarians' trust in City Council is plunging

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If you’ve been feeling critical about Calgary City Council lately, you’re not alone. A new report is shedding light on what Calgarians really think about living in the city, and it’s not looking good.

The report found that residents’ trust in the City has hit an “all-time low” and spans across a number of areas in government.

The findings were published by the market research firm Ipsos, using data from telephone surveys. Over 2,500 Calgarians were surveyed between February 27 and March 26, 2024.

Almost two-thirds of respondents expressed distrust in the City, dipping even lower than previous results from a fall 2023 survey, according to the report.

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Calgarians also aren’t too optimistic about leadership and performance, with ratings for both the City of Calgary and City administration remaining low since last year. Satisfaction in City Council has also nose-dived since the fall.

In particular, perceptions of collaboration and transparency plummeted in fall 2023, with no sign of a shift so far this year.

Concerns about fiscal responsibility also appear to be on the rise, increasing more than the fall. Under one-half (48%) now agree the City manages its spending in
a way that reflects Calgarians’ needs and priorities, a significant drop from spring 2023 (58%) and fall 2023 (51%).

City of Calgary

The City also didn’t fare too well when looking at the public perception of the use of tax dollars, and it looks like a majority of Calgarians think their quality of life has worsened over the past three years. Perceived value for taxes is at an all-time low, with only around two-fifths of respondents believing they get a good value for their taxes.

What are your thoughts on Calgary City Council? Let us know in the comments below.