Comparing the Management of Calgary and Edmonton
Public perceptions of the management of the governments of Calgary and Edmonton are dramatically different. Whereas in Calgary three out of four residents believe that the Mayor has provided the necessary leadership the city needs, approximately half that proportion of Edmontonians would say the same thing about their current Mayor. Furthermore, whereas just over half of Calgarians believe that city council does a good job balancing the interests of their business community and other residents, only one-third of Edmontonians believe that their council does the same. On all four aspects investigated, Calgarians give their municipal government higher ratings than Edmontonians give their government. (see Table 13)
The overall approval of the running of Calgary directly relates to the high levels of approval of city council and the Mayor's performance. In contrast, approval of Edmonton's city council and Edmonton's mayor is substantially lower. These figures (shown on Table 14) explain why the civic election campaign in Edmonton has generated considerable interest and coverage, whereas the civic election in Calgary has yet to develop into any type of race.
TABLE 13: COMPARING CALGARIANS' AND EDMONTONIANS' ASSEESSMENT OF THEIR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS
| 160 | Edmonton June 1995 (506) % | Calgary Sept. 1995 (400) % |
|---|---|---|
| The Mayor has provided necessary leadership | 38 | 74 |
| City council is always squabbling | 77 | 58 |
| Council does a good job balancing interests of the business community and other residents | 33 | 54 |
| The municpal government effectively uses tax dollars | 33 | 48 |
TABLE 14: COMPARING CONTENTMENT WITH COUNCIL AND MAYOR'S PERFORMANCE BETWEEN EDMONTON AND CALGARY
| Edmonton June 1995 (506) % | Calgary Sept. 1995 (400) % | |
|---|---|---|
| Approve of Council | 42 | 75 |
| Disapprove of Council | 53 | 16 |
| Unsure | 5 | 9 |
| Approve of Mayor | 49 | 86 |
| Disapprove of Mayor | 49 | 86 |
| Unsure | 5 | 8 |
A Calgary-wide survey was conducted with a random and representative sampling of 400 adults between September 6th and September 11th, 1995.
Results of the total Calgary sample of 400 respondents are accurate within ±5.0%. In other words, the results of this poll would not be more than 5.0% above or below the result of a total population survey, 19 times out of 20. The margin of error is higher for sub-samples.
This public opinion survey was conducted by the Alberta Division of the Angus Reid Group on behalf of the Calgary Herald.
For more information, contact:
Darrel Bricker
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(613) 241-5802
John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900
