Taproot Survey: Voter statistics

Based on more than 16,000 responses as of Oct. 14, here's how voters answered the survey.

Note: Respondents could skip questions, so not all questions have the same number of answers. Taproot excluded surveys with fewer than two answers. The majority of respondents answered most of the questions. It was possible for respondents to fill out the survey multiple times, but unlikely at a large scale given the structure of the survey.

Economy

How much should the city spend to help local business recover from the pandemic?
  1. It should spend more (37.3%)
  2. Current support is sufficient (58.3%)
  3. It should spend less (4.4%)
Is the city's current approach to encouraging economic diversification heading in the right direction?
  1. Yes, we have effective initiatives in place (33.9%)
  2. No, the city should put more resources behind nurturing homegrown businesses (47.7%)
  3. No, the city should put more resources behind attracting global businesses (18.4%)
Do you support the Downtown Vibrancy Strategy released in June?
  1. Yes, and we should fully fund the plan (30.7%)
  2. Yes, at the current level of investment (39.6%)
  3. No, we have already spent enough on downtown (19.1%)
  4. No, I support investment in downtown but not this plan (10.6%)

Environment

What do you think of the Community Energy Transition Strategy and action plan?
  1. It's a good start but we need to go farther to reach our goals (41.3%)
  2. It's a strong plan; we just need to follow it (42.9%)
  3. The action items are too expensive (8.7%)
  4. Climate action is not the responsibility of the city (7.1%)
Should effects on the climate be taken into account in every decision city council makes?
  1. Yes, every decision has climate implications (49.5%)
  2. Yes for some decisions but not all (41.1%)
  3. No, most decisions don't have climate implications (9.4%)
Do you think city council should have approved the Epcor's E.L. Smith Solar Farm?
  1. Yes (42.7%)
  2. No, I support solar power but that's the wrong location (54.7%)
  3. No, I don't support solar power anywhere (2.6%)

Finances

What do you think the city's main fiscal challenge is?
  1. City council hasn't been willing to raise taxes enough (8.8%)
  2. The city has limited ability to raise revenues (36.5%)
  3. The city spends too much (5.6%)
  4. The city spends its resources inefficiently (49.2%)
What do you think of the city's revenue split between residential and business taxes?
  1. The current mix is acceptable (59.0%)
  2. Residences should pay more (3.7%)
  3. Businesses should pay more (29.2%)
  4. Both should pay less, even if that means a reduction of services (8.1%)
What do you think of the size of the city's workforce?
  1. The city has about the right number of employees (46.3%)
  2. The city has too many employees (30.5%)
  3. The city has too few employees (23.1%)

Housing and homelessness

How should the city approach the provision of affordable housing?
  1. The city should build more affordable housing, even if it can't get funding from other orders of government (46.4%)
  2. The city cannot afford to build more affordable housing without financial support from other orders of government (49.8%)
  3. The city should not build more affordable housing regardless of financial support from other orders of government (3.8%)
Should the city expand its Housing First programs?
  1. Yes, Housing First is the right approach and we need more of it (67.5%)
  2. No, the existing programs are sufficient (8.1%)
  3. No, residents should undergo treatment for underlying issues such as substance use and mental illness before participating in housing programs (22.0%)
  4. No, this shouldn't be the city's responsibility (2.4%)
How should the city address encampments?
  1. The current policy towards encampments is acceptable (30.8%)
  2. Encampments should be allowed if there are no better housing options available (48.5%)
  3. Encampments should be dismantled immediately (20.7%)

Planning

Which statement best describes your opinion of city council's zoning decisions?
  1. Council has shown the right amount of flexibility regarding zoning bylaws (28.9%)
  2. Council has been too flexible under pressure from developers (57.4%)
  3. Council has not been flexible enough to make way for development (13.7%)
Do you support the city's current approach to infill?
  1. Yes (59.6%)
  2. No, primarily because it harms the character of mature neighbourhoods (21.1%)
  3. No, primarily because it allows too much gentrification (14.4%)
  4. No, primarily because it interferes with market forces (4.9%)
How should council bring the 15-minute districts described in the City Plan to life?
  1. Council should use every tool at its disposal, including financial penalties and incentives (45.6%)
  2. Council should rely mostly on zoning decisions to support their creation (40.4%)
  3. Council should not intentionally create 15-minute districts (14.0%)

Police

Which statement best captures your beliefs about racism and the Edmonton Police Service?
  1. Systemic racism is apparent throughout the EPS (50.2%)
  2. The EPS is not racist on the whole, but there are some racist members (47.7%)
  3. There is no racism within the EPS (2.1%)
What should be done about the police budget?
  1. Increase it as determined by the funding formula (23.8%)
  2. Freeze it until it is in line with comparable cities (43.1%)
  3. Decrease it somewhat (21.4%)
  4. Defund the police altogether (11.6%)
When police request funding for capital projects, how should council respond?
  1. Council should trust the police to know what they need and generally approve their requests (8.5%)
  2. Council should closely scrutinize all requests (80.6%)
  3. Council should not approve any further funding requests from police (10.9%)

Politics and governance

Should candidates disclose their donors?
  1. Yes, before the election (89.5%)
  2. Yes, after the election (2.8%)
  3. They shouldn't have donors (5.6%)
  4. They shouldn't have to disclose donors at any point (2.1%)
Should city council continue to have a code of conduct?
  1. Yes, and the current one is working fine (26.1%)
  2. Yes, but the current one is not doing the job (71.8%)
  3. No, elections are a sufficient mechanism for governing councillors' conduct (2.1%)
Do referendum questions and Senate votes belong on municipal ballots?
  1. Yes (25.7%)
  2. No (51.2%)
  3. I accept the principle but object to some or all of these additions (23.0%)

Quality of life

How much should the city spend to help the arts sector recover from the pandemic?
  1. It should spend more (42.1%)
  2. Current support is sufficient (48.0%)
  3. It should spend less (9.8%)
Should the city have more permanent public washrooms?
  1. Yes, we need more permanent public washrooms (76.3%)
  2. No, we have enough (21.5%)
  3. No, we shouldn't have any (2.1%)
Do you support the city's current approach to upholding the spirit and specifics of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 calls to action?
  1. Yes, I support the current approach (53.3%)
  2. No, the city should do more (36.3%)
  3. No, the city is doing more than it should (10.4%)

Roads

What should the residential speed limit be?
  1. 30 km/h (12.2%)
  2. 40 km/h (58.5%)
  3. 50 km/h (29.2%)
Where do you stand on accommodating active transportation?
  1. The city should make roads more accessible to active transportation (59.9%)
  2. The city has enough infrastructure for active transportation (32.7%)
  3. The city should make roads less accessible to active transportation (7.4%)
Do you support the expansion of major roads?
  1. I support these expansions (65.8%)
  2. I oppose these expansions, primarily on financial grounds (12.2%)
  3. I oppose these expansions, primarily on environmental grounds (22.0%)

Transit

What should be done about transit fares?
  1. Fares should decrease (35.7%)
  2. Fares should be frozen where they are (42.2%)
  3. Fares should go up as planned (22.1%)
What is your position on the bus network redesign?
  1. It struck the right balance between frequency and coverage (29.7%)
  2. It sacrificed too much coverage to provide more frequency (35.9%)
  3. The city should have taken money from something else to increase frequency and maintain coverage (26.9%)
  4. Regardless of how it is configured, the city spends too much on transit (7.5%)
What should be done about LRT expansion?
  1. Divert budget from other projects to build the LRT more quickly (25.7%)
  2. Continue with the current plan (56.2%)
  3. Pause LRT construction and consider bus rapid transit instead (12.5%)
  4. Pause LRT construction and explore more future-focused technology like autonomous vehicle networks (5.7%)

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