JXTC GENRE : DECEMBER 08 TEMPLATE

An ongoing online survey is shedding some light on the opinions of Clarington residents.

The Clarington Opinion Panel is an initiative of the Bowmanville-based research firm Collis & Reed as a free of charge public service to the Clarington community

One hundred and fifty respondents from across Clarington participated in January’s Clarington Opinion Panel question which asked residents: 'what issues would they like to see addressed in the 2010 Municipal election.' The panel topic was opened on January 26th and closed February 2nd. Clarington residents who had joined the panel by signing up at www.collis-reed.com/signup were invited to take part in this online survey.

According to Collis & Reed, the top three issues panel respondents would like to see addressed in the 2010 Municipal Election are:

• Incineration

• Job creation/preservation

• Managing the municipal budget

However, a closer look at the comments made by participants reveals three common themes that occur across issues. The first theme is a question of confidence that Council is:

• Making the most informed decisions possible

• Clearly and thoroughly debating issues

• Seriously evaluating options

• Ultimately making the best possible decisions for Clarington

A related theme is the perception that decisions and debate are not transparent and open to public scrutiny and that the public has a voice that is not being heard or taken seriously. Both of these themes were very much in the forefront of people’s minds when they commented on incineration, election of the Regional Chair, managing the budget and public input.

The final theme is that there is a desire to see Clarington grow, especially in terms of economic development, so that there are good jobs available in our communities. However, growth needs to be carefully planned and executed to ensure that Clarington does not lose its rural agricultural roots and small town charm. Further, environmental considerations need to be taken seriously when planning new residential and commercial developments.

The panel results clearly indicate that candidates in the upcoming election will be expected to seriously consider a wide range of challenging issues and demonstrate that they have the ability to make difficult decisions while respecting and encouraging public involvement in the process.