Working Together:
Town of Ponoka 2022 Budget
Citizen Input Survey

Our annual Budget Consultation Survey assists Council and Administration in making decisions on where and how your tax dollars are spent. Your opinion is important to us. Thank you for participating in the survey!

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* 1. What is your age?

Under 18

19 - 30

31 - 40

41 - 50

51 - 60

61 and over

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* 2. What is your property status?

Homeowner (Town of Ponoka)

Tenant (Town of Ponoka)

I own property in town AND reside outside of the Town of Ponoka

I do not own property in town AND reside outside of the Town of Ponoka

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* 3. How long have you lived in the Town of Ponoka?

0 - 5 years

6 - 10 years

11 - 20 years

20 plus years

I live outside of the Town of Ponoka

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* 4. Please select the occupation which best describes your employment.

Arts, Culture or Recreation

Agriculture

Business, Finance, Administration

Education, Law, Social Services, Government

Health

Management

Manufacturing

Natural or Applied Sciences

Natural Resources

Retired

Sales and Services

Stay-at-home Caregiver

Trades, Transport, Equipment Operator

Work from home

Unemployed

Other (specify)

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* 5. Do you have any children under the age of 18 living in your household?

Yes

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* 6. How would you rate your overall quality of life in the Town of Ponoka?

Very Good

Good

Poor

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* 7. What would you say are the three most significant factors that contribute to a high quality of life in Ponoka? (Please choose up to three selections below.)

Recreation and sports facilities (Arena, ice skating trail and outdoor rink, indoor pool / Aquaplex, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, etc).

Parks and walking trails (Ponoka offers about 10 km of walking trails and numerous parks, including the Ponoka Splash Park).

An increasing number of businesses and retail stores (Ponoka saw an increase in business licences issued in 2020, with 511 licences issued - an increase of 33 over the previous year).

Good municipal services (water, sewer, roads, etc. Did you know: Ponoka distributed over 600,000 cubic meters of safe drinking water to residents in 2020 and treated 600,000 cubic meters of wastewater. The Town also conducts annual road and sidewalk improvements through the community as part of the Town's Roadway Infrastructure Improvement Program).

Central location (at Highway 2 and 53 for easy access to Edmonton and Calgary).

Size of community (steady growth while still retaining a 'hometown feel').

Community and sport-related activities, events and programs.

A safe and secure community (Ponoka RCMP responded to 4,557 calls in town in 2020.

Cost of living (affordable housing prices, property taxes remain among the lowest along the Highway 2 corridor).

Access to quality education (including post-secondary education through the new Campus Alberta Central Learning Centre in Ponoka and the Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing Program through MacEwan University at Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury in Ponoka).

Other (please specify)

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* 8. One of the tools that Ponoka Town Council uses as a guide when making budget decisions is the Town of Ponoka Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan represents Council's priorities over a five-year term.

The priorities identified in the current Strategic Plan 2018-2023 focus on:

Governance and Service Excellence - We focus on good governance and service excellence in our delivery of cost-effective services to our residents.

Growth and Economic Health - We align our processes, infrastructure, and financials to incent the growth of Ponoka.

Quality of Life - We understand that quality of life (a safe, healthy, and thriving community) is what makes Ponoka a great place to live, work, and play.

Relationships - We actively engage with our residents, partners, key stakeholders, and neighbours.

The above list represents Council's priorities. Tell us YOUR top three priorities for the Town of Ponoka that you feel are important for the Council to consider as the Town begins the process of determining where to allocate budget dollars for 2022?

ii.

iii.

PLEASE NOTE: The current Town of Ponoka Strategic Plan 2018-2023 can be viewed online here or pick up a paper copy at the Town Office (#200 5604 50 Street, Ponoka)

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* 9. Is there anything else you would like Council to consider as it prepares to deliberate the 2022 Budget or do you have any feedback you would like to offer to help the Town improve our Budget Consultation Process?

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* 10. What are your top three preferred ways to keep informed about Town-related information, services, events, and announcements? (Please check up to three selections.)

Town of Ponoka Website (www.ponoka.ca)

Town of Ponoka Facebook page

Town of Ponoka Instagram page

Town of Ponoka Twitter page

Community social media pages

Hometown Weekly News page submitted by the Town in the local newspaper (print version)

Coffee with Council events

Town Council Meetings

Public Open Houses

Mail (Municipal Utility Bills, Tax Notices)

Online News Outlets

Local newspaper stories

Local Radio

Regional TV

Other (Specify)

Thank you for your input!