TAXES DOMINATE PUBLIC ISSUE AGENDA IN HALDIMAND-NORFOLK

This Angus Reid Group/Simcoe Times-Reformer poll was conducted by telephone between November 3rd, 4th and 5th, 1998 among 400 randomly selected Haldimand-Norfolk residents.

These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's age and sex composition reflects that of the actual Haldimand-Norfolk Region according to the 1996 Census data.

With a regional sample of 400, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within + 4.9 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire Haldimand-Norfolk population been polled.

TAXES DOMINATE PUBLIC ISSUE AGENDA IN HALDIMAND-NORFOLK

RESIDENTS BLAME PROVINCE FOR TAX INCREASES, BUT A MAJORITY PREFER USER FEES TO CROSS THE BOARD TAX INCREASES

LOCAL RESIDENTS BOUYANT ON ECONOMIC OUTLOOK.

SIMCOE TIMES-REFORMER

Taxes are the number one concern for residents of Haldimand-Norfolk, with 49% mentioning it as the issue that should receive the greatest attention from their municipal leaders. In fact, the majority of residents hold the provincial government responsible for upcoming plans to hike taxes (51%); however, 47% also believe increased taxes are the result of the region avoiding tough decisions that are necessary. In order to make up for this shortfall, the majority prefer to implement user fees (52%) rather than have cross the board tax increases (10%). Despite deep concern about taxes, most residents are quite optimistic that the economy will either stay the same or improve over the next year - varying from 69% to 82% depending on the level of the economy - national, provincial, local or personal.

TAXES - THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING HALDIMAND-NORFOLK

Half (49%) Think Taxes are Number One Concern

Almost half of Haldimand-Norfolk's residents (49%) believe that the issue of taxes should receive the greatest attention from their leaders.

• Taxes are of greatest concern to middle income earners ($30k to $60k - 55%) followed by the higher income earners (50%) and finally those who earn less than $30k (42%).
• Property owners in the region are far more likely to mention taxes as an issue local leaders should focus on than are renters - 51% versus 35% respectively.
• Other noteworthy concerns noteworthy mentions include, education (34%), healthcare (17%), jobs and unemployment (10%) and municipal restructuring (9%) are considerably less important to Haldimand-Norfolk residents than are taxes (49%).

One Half (51%) of Haldimand-Norfolk Residents Blame the Provincial Government

When asked who is responsible for planned tax increases in the region this year, the majority of residents feel it is the provincial government (51%). Others believe that tax hikes are the result of the region (25%), or the municipalities (11%), while 8% say all levels of government are equally responsible.

Residents are divided as to the necessity of increasing taxes in Haldimand Norfolk. Half of the region's residents (50%) state that the money raised by a tax hike is necessary because of provincial downloading. However, a comparable proportion (47%) believes that the tax hike is the result of the region avoiding tough decisions that are necessary. These residents feel that the region is using downloading as a way to pass the blame for the tax increase to the provincial government.

• Residents earning between $30k and $60k are the most likely to refer to proposed tax hikes resulting from provincial downloading (56%).
• Property owners (44%) are far less likely than renters (63%) to blame tax hikes on the inability of the region to make difficult decisions necessary to avoid tax hikes.

Half of Haldimand-Norfolk Residents (52%) Prefer User Fees

The majority of residents prefer the option of implementing user fees (52%) to increasing taxes (10%). And Haldimand-Norfolk residents are three times more likely to want their leaders to cut programs (29%) rather than increase taxes (10%).

• Residents aged 18 to 34 are far more likely than other age groups to suggest implementing user fees (62% versus 35-54, 48%; 55+, 49%).
• While men are more likely than women to prefer cutting spending (33% versus 26%), women are more likely to mention user fees as a possible solution to budget shortfalls (56% versus 48%).
• Those earning $30k or less (34%) are more likely than higher income groups ($30k-$60k, 27% and Over $60k, 29%) to prefer spending cuts.

National, Provincial and Personal Economic Situation Seen to be Positive In Upcoming Year, Despite Lower Levels of Faith in Local Economy

Overall, residents of Haldimand-Norfolk are optimistic about economic prosperity over the next year. Fully, 77% believe that the Canadian economy will either stay the same or improve including one-third (31%) of all respondents who feel that the national economy will improve in the next year. Faith in the provincial economy in the upcoming year is also positive. Similarly, one third (33%) believe the provincial economy will improve, four in ten (39%) feel the Ontario economy will stay the same.

On the other hand, residents of Haldimand-Norfolk are far less likely to believe that the economy of their region will improve in the next year. In fact, those who feel the economy will worsen in the next year (31%) outweigh those that are optimistic about the economy improving (15%).

Despite a lack of faith in the local economy, Haldimand-Norfolk residents are upbeat about their personal economic situation. Indeed, 26% believe their economic circumstances will improve, while slightly more than half (56%) feel their situation will stay the same in the upcoming year.

• Men in Haldimand-Norfolk are far more confident than are women that the economic prosperity of the country (38% versus 24%), the province (40% versus 26%), and the Haldimand-Norfolk region (18% versus 12%) will improve in the next year.
• However, men and women report the same levels of optimism toward their own economic situation over the next year, with less than one third (27% and 24%) predicting an improvement in their economic situation over the next year.
• With the exception of the Haldimand-Norfolk region, those in the over $60k income bracket are more likely to be positive about the economy in the next year than people in lower income brackets.
• The younger residents (18-34) of Haldimand-Norfolk are less than half as likely to believe the local economy will improve over the next year - 8%; 35-54, 16%; 55+, 19%).
• Those aged 18 to 34 (37%) are most likely to believe their personal economic situation will improve in the next year, compared to those 35 to 54 (26%) and those over 55 (15%).

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Dr. Darrell Bricker
Executive Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900