Vancouver City Council

CITY OF VANCOUVER

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date:

February 20, 2004

Author:

Annette Klein

Phone No.:

873-7789

RTS No.:

04020

CC File No.:

1605

Meeting Date:

March 9, 2004

TO:

City Council

FROM:

General Manager of Corporate Services/Director of Finance

SUBJECT:

2004 Operating Budget: Public Consultation (powerpoint presentation)

INFORMATION
This report is submitted for the INFORMATION of City Council

PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to provide information on the results of the public consultation process conducted for the 2004 Operating Budget.

BACKGROUND
On November 18, 2003, Council instructed the City Manager to implement a public consultation initiative related to the service levels and taxation choices required to balance the 2004 Operating Budget. The process involved three components:
· a public opinion survey was undertaken by Mustel Group, a local polling company. The survey sought the opinions of 602 Vancouver residents on a range of service and taxation options.
· The "City Choices 2004" process involving an information flyer, a message line and e-mail box for comments and a mini-questionnaire that could be faxed or mailed back to the City. This flyer, printed in English and Chinese, was also made available on the City's website where the questionnaire could be completed on-line.

· Two Mayor's Forums were held on February 11 and 14, 2004, focusing the budget discussion on two themes:

i) Poverty, Homelessness, and Provincial Offloading
ii) Crime and Safety

DISCUSSION

The results of the 2004 Operating Budget public participation process is summarized as follows.

a) Telephone Survey

Attached is the report from Mustel Group outlining the results of the public poll and comparing the results with those from similar surveys done in previous years (limited distribution - on file in City Clerk's Office). The key findings from the telephone survey are:
Most Important Issues Facing the City
Residents have identified Crime (49% "total mentions"), Social (36% "total mentions"), and Transportation (35% "total mentions") issues as the most important issues facing the City.

Value and Satisfaction in City Services:
57% of respondents felt that they receive fairly good to very good value for City Services, while 86% of respondents are somewhat to very satisfied with City Services.

Preference to Balance the Budget
Residents continue to prefer a balance between increased taxes and services cuts. 20% would prefer a 6% tax increase to balance the budget, 18% would prefer to use cuts to City services to balance the budget, 47% would prefer to use a mix of tax increases and service cuts to balance the budget, while 15% did not know or did not answer.

Acceptance for Tax Increase
Residents continue to tolerate tax increases. 85% would accept a 2% tax increase, 70% would accept a 4% tax increase, while 57% would accept a 6% tax increase.

Mustel Group will provide a short presentation to Council on March 9, 2004, on the findings from the "2004 Budget Allocation Study - Wave 6".

b) City Choices Flyer:

Staff are currently completing the analysis of the City Choices questionnaire responses as the deadline for submissions were on February 20, 2004. The results of the responses will be presented on March 9, 2004 as part of the report reference on the 2004 Operating Budget.

c) Mayor's Forums:

Two Mayor's Forums were held on February 11 and 14, 2004. The forums, focusing on the two themes of Poverty, Homelessness, and Provincial Offloading and Crime and Safety, asked the opinion of participants on two recommendations from the Mayor's Forums on Livability and Neighbourhood Safety.

Recommendation 1: "Police Resources"
That City Council ask the City Manager to report back on the cost and earliest possible implementation timelines for a pilot project, building on the City's Neighbourhood Integrated Service Team approach, to achieve improvements in neighbourhood liveability and safety.

Recommendation 2: "Coordinated Enforcement"
That City Council ask the City Manager, in consultation with the Chief of Police, to report on the cost and time required to restore the Vancouver Police Department to the number of sworn officers that was authorized at May 1, 2003, and then to raise the force to the national average of officers on a per capita basis, keeping in mind the time required to recruit and train new officers, and the need to protect other City services while holding taxes as low as possible.

As mentioned, the Mayor will report separately on the results of the forums.

The Interim Budget Report provides options to Council on how to address the issue of long-term police staffing and staff will report back on the Coordinated Enforcement project later in the year.

CONCLUSION
The 2004 Operating Budget included a three staged public participation process - a telephone survey, City Choices flyer and questionnaire, and 2 Mayor's Forums. The results of the telephone survey are enclosed in this report whereas the results of City Choices and the Mayor's Forums will be reported separately to Council.

* * * * *

	Date:	February 20, 2004
	Author:	Annette Klein
	Phone No.:	873-7789
	RTS No.:	04020
	CC File No.:	1605
	Meeting Date:	March 9, 2004

TO:	City Council
FROM:	General Manager of Corporate Services/Director of Finance
SUBJECT:	2004 Operating Budget: Public Consultation (powerpoint presentation)