After serving six months as your mayor, I have witnessed more passion and dedication to this community from residents than I knew existed during my previous 12 years as a councillor.
There is a strong desire to see Penticton flourish. As the council gets ready to develop the priorities for the city, there is no better time than now for residents to provide feedback through the 2019 Citizen Survey.
What’s a citizen survey?
Citizen surveys are used by local governments to evaluate their services and collect input on the quality of life and future priorities. As Penticton grows and develops, understanding the needs, wants and desires of residents is extremely valuable. The City of Penticton last completed a citizen survey in 2013, so it’s definitely time to reintroduce this important form of engagement to help support city council’s strategic planning.
When used regularly, surveys help council measure improvements and benchmark services with other communities. Obtaining accurate and meaningful information also allows our city to plan for the future and compare year-over-year data. Everything that is collected is vitally important as we continue to grow Penticton into an even more beautiful and prosperous community.
Time is running out.
This year’s survey kicked off April 18 and runs until May 3. We’re now approaching almost 1,000 responses, but let’s not stop there. Decisions made at the local level have the biggest impact on our community, so I strongly encourage more residents to complete the survey in the time that’s left.
Your participation is a great opportunity to provide meaningful feedback to the council. If improvements need to be made, now is the time to voice your opinions and ideas before the council begins the process of creating our strategic priorities. Not only will the feedback you provided help with our planning process, but it will also assist us to project budgets and plan for the future.
Ready to have your say? Please complete the survey online at shapeyourcitypenticton.ca or fill out a hard copy at the seniors’ drop-in centre, city hall, the library and community centre.
John Vassilaki is the Mayor of the City of Penticton.