Citizen survey results show the majority of residents are satisfied with their quality of life in Maple Ridge.
Most survey respondents report being satisfied with their quality of life, but assessments have generally been trending down. Residents continue to be worried about the issues of homelessness, crime/safety, and addiction/drug use, city council heard at a Sept. 24 meeting where they reviewed the survey results.
The surveys are done every two or three years, and this was the eighth survey done since they started in 2003.
The same issues "always pop up to the top of the list," noted Mayor Dan Ruimy.
He said council has increased the budget for the RCMP and hired more officers with its latest budget.
"We're responding to those issues, and this (survey) tells us we're on the right track," he added. "Our priorities are aligned with the problems."
Ruimy said issues around homelessness and addiction are not unique to his city.
"It's not only Maple Ridge, it's the entire Lower Mainland, it's B.C., it's Canada's problem, and it's a North American problem," he said.
The survey showed residents also want to see more retail, shopping, and restaurants in Maple Ridge.
The citizen satisfaction survey shows 71 per cent of residents are satisfied in 2024, compared with 89 per cent when the first such survey was done in 2003.
Similarly, the number of dissatisfied is up to 21 per cent, where just nine per cent were dissatisfied in 2003. The survey found families with children are one of the least satisfied groups, with 66 per cent saying they are satisfied.
"The most pressing issues that residents feel are facing the community have not changed – they continue to be the homeless (40 per cent mentioning), crime/safety (27 per cent), and addiction/drug use (26 per cent)," noted the report by Sentis Research.
Concerns about crime/safety have grown (20 to 27 per cent) and most of that increase is among residents who are dissatisfied with their quality of life in the city, noted the report. Addiction/drug use is also a growing concern among this group of dissatisfied residents.
Newer residents tend to be the most positive about their quality of life (88 per cent). Quality of life rating is also higher among singles and couples without children (78 per cent), compared to families with children (66 per cent).
Satisfaction with city services rose slightly, from 43 per cent in 2022 to 44 per cent in 2024. That 44 per cent rated city services good or very good, compared with 18 per cent who rated it poor or very poor.
Perceived value for property taxes rose from 21 per cent to 22 per cent from 2022 to this year. However, while 22 per cent rated their bang for their buck either good or very good, there were 36 per cent who rated it either poor or very poor.
Lack of garbage collection continues to be called out as a reason for lower satisfaction with municipal services.
Those who are dissatisfied with the value of their tax dollars most often say it is because they feel their taxes are simply too high.
Coun. Jenny Tan asked the consultant how Maple Ridge compares with other cities they work in. The consultant said the concern around attracting new businesses and employers is more unique to the city.
Coun. Ahmed Yousef asked about the reasons for satisfaction decline over the past decade.
"Was the drop caused by those most pressing issues that were mentioned, or was it because of the garbage, maintenance of roads, lack of recreation facilities and value for taxes?" Yousef asked. "Where would we peg the decrease in satisfaction with the quality of life?"
Staff said the commentary shows the issues of crime/safety, improved retail shopping, and high taxes are three areas of concern.
