2019 Citizen Survey results show overall satisfaction remains high

Wed, 03 Apr 2019

Satisfaction with town services rises to 96 per cent

The results of the town’s 2019 Citizen Survey are in and residents give the town top marks! Results show that 81 per cent of residents expressed overall satisfaction with the government of the Town of Oakville, consistent with the ratings from the previous Citizen Survey conducted in 2017. The majority of residents also feel that Oakville is a great place to call home, with 93 per cent of residents stating a strong sense of belonging and feeling safe, and expressing high satisfaction with town services at 96 per cent.

Every two years, the town conducts its citizen survey to track overall satisfaction with town programs and services, identify emerging issues important to the community and to help set future strategic priorities.

“Engaging with our residents is absolutely critical for Council to continually improve Oakville’s livability,” said Mayor Rob Burton. “The high satisfaction rates we’ve received in this survey are very encouraging and tell us that Council is on the right track in delivering the high-quality facilities and services that our residents want and need. This year’s survey results can also help inform the provincial government’s ongoing review of regional municipalities when they evaluate Oakville’s governance, decision-making and service delivery.”

Key findings from the 2019 Citizen Survey include:

  • Residents were asked to rate eight attributes of the Town of Oakville, giving us an overall satisfaction rating of 87 per cent. The highest levels of satisfaction with town attributes were feelings of belonging and safety (93 per cent), quality of buildings/overall appearance (87 per cent) and protection of heritage (82 per cent).
  • When it came to rating town services, the town’s score ranked extremely high with an overall satisfaction rate of 96 per cent. Results also show that eight out of 12 service areas received satisfaction ratings above 80 per cent.
  • The town’s top rated services include parks and green spaces (93 per cent), public libraries (91 per cent), recreation fields and facilities (89 per cent), and recreation programs (88 per cent).
  • Overall customer satisfaction scored very high at 88 per cent (up three per cent from 2017).
  • Sixty-eight per cent of survey respondents said their preferred method of finding key information on town programs and services is the town’s website, with 45 per cent of residents stating that the town’s website was the primary way they contacted the town.
  • To help the town in planning for the future, residents were asked to choose which priority they would like the town to focus on most. Controlling growth was identified as the top priority for the majority of residents at 65 per cent; followed by Oakville’s natural environment (52 per cent) and ease of travelling (50 per cent).

In January and February, Pollara Strategic Insights conducted a 20-minute phone survey to gather quantitative data, where a random sample of 809 residents were asked for their feedback and opinions about their community.

To complement the phone survey, further research was conducted through an online survey. Over 700 responses were received, with results showing high levels of overall satisfaction with the government of the Town of Oakville (77 per cent) as well as with the delivery of town programs and services (76 per cent). When asked about the most important issues facing the town, residents expressed that traffic congestion and growth and development were key issues that the town should focus on to enhance Oakville’s livability. Findings also showed that residents connect most with the town through the town’s website – both as their first method of contact with the town and how they find information about programs and services.

The town conducted its first Citizen Survey in 2001, then again in 2004 and 2007 before moving to a biennial survey. Year-over-year results have consistently shown residents’ high level of overall satisfaction with the government of the Town of Oakville.

Visit our Citizen Survey page for more details.