Community Satisfaction Survey results highlight livability and more in Oakville

The Town of Oakville’s 2024 Community Satisfaction Survey results are in! Satisfaction remains high with 89 per cent of Oakville residents expressing overall satisfaction with town programs and services; 92 per cent of Oakville residents expressing a positive customer service experience with the town and 80 per cent of Oakville residents expressing that Oakville is a better place to live than most areas in the Greater Toronto Area. 

Other key findings from the resident survey include: 

• 79 per cent of residents feel satisfied with their local government
• 80 per cent of residents said they receive good value for their tax dollar
• Parks and greenspace (94 per cent), harbours and waterfront areas (88 per cent) and recreation fields and facilities (88 per cent) were among the services residents are most satisfied with. 
• 85 per cent of residents feel they belong
• 87 per cent of residents are satisfied with the town’s website
• Important issues that are impacting the community include affordable housing, urban sprawl/rapid development, and land use planning, with an emphasis on protecting the character of existing neighbourhoods and providing diverse housing options.

 

Improvement opportunities

While the 2024 Community Satisfaction Survey highlights the town’s strengths, it also helps identify areas of improvement such as increasing the availability of online services and municipal enforcement, followed by heritage and culture offerings and venues, public transit, availability of parking, and recreation programs.
 

Staying engaged

The town wants to continue receiving feedback from the community. Residents  can get involved with opportunities listed on the Public Engagement Hub page, sign up for the town newsletter to get the latest news or fill out the customer service feedback form.
 

Quotes

“The Community Satisfaction Survey results show we’re on track with the Council Strategic Plan and 2023-2026 Action Plan to ensure Oakville continues to be a vibrant and livable community for all. Our community’s feedback will help Council and town staff focus on what matters most to the community so we can continue to meet the needs and expectations of our residents.”
– Mayor Rob Burton 

“I know our staff take extreme pride in the work we do together every day to support the community and I’m grateful that work hasn’t gone unnoticed as the survey results show. I encourage the community to continue sharing their valuable feedback. It helps us not only make improvements to our programs and services, but also prioritize what is important to the community.”
– CAO Jane Clohecy 
 

Background

• The Community Satisfaction Survey was formerly called the Citizen Survey.
• Forum Research conducted both a telephone and online survey between February 13 and March 8, 2024. Oakville residents were called at random and asked the same questions while the online survey was open to Oakville residents interested in providing feedback. There were 805 phone responses collected and 782 online surveys completed. Findings in the telephone survey are accurate to +/- 3.45 per cent. 
• The highlighted results in the news release are based on quantitative data received through random phone responses. Data from the online survey has been reported separately as it is affected  by self-selection bias. Results from both surveys will help support decision making, including the annual budget review and recommendations.
• Review the related April 29, 2024 staff report and      appendix for more details. 
• Every two years, the Town of Oakville conducts a resident survey to gather information on residents’ overall satisfaction with town programs and services, identify emerging issues important to the community and to help guide strategic priorities and ensure continuous improvement in the town’s service delivery.
• To view the   2022 results, visit the Community Satisfaction Survey page.