Mountain View County council has approved a $25,000 survey that will gather ratepayer input into everything from taxes to councillor representation to satisfaction with agriculture programs.
During the Jan. 8 regularly scheduled council meeting, councillors went over the 15-page ratepayer services survey for 2014. There are questions about all county departments in the survey.
The random telephone survey will be conducted by NRG Research Group over a number of weeks starting on Jan. 27, following two weeks of pre-survey advertising.
Officials hope to gather input from at least 400 ratepayers, council heard.
One question asks respondents to rate such things as "the accessibility of your councillorî, "the accessibility of Mountain View County council in generalî, the county's relationship with its partner urban municipalities, and the "adequacy of information you receive about MVC council decisions and processes.î
The results of the survey are expected to be presented to council in March or April. The funds for the survey were approved in the 2013 budget.
"I think the intent of this (survey) is good,î said councillor Al Kemmere.
The 2014 survey will be the first in a series of surveys to be conducted over the next several years.
The county will conduct a so-called ëparallel survey' following the completion of the 2014 ratepayer services survey, giving residents not contacted during the main survey a chance to provide input, councillors heard.
