Lethbridge City Hall. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

43% of Lethbridge residents say “drugs/injection site” is top issue

Nov 23, 2020 | 12:16 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The people of Lethbridge have spoken on what they want city council to focus on.

The 2020 Budget Priorities Survey, conducted by Ipsos, saw 401 residents surveyed over the phone between August 26 and September 6, 2020.

The number one issue identified was “drugs/injection site” where 43 per cent said it was the top issue that they wanted council to address, a substantial increase from 2018 where just four per cent said the same.

It should be noted that, during the time the survey was being conducted, the now-former Supervised Consumption Site run by ARCHES was just closing. The mobile Overdose Prevention Site operated by Alberta Health Services had not yet opened nor had the unsanctioned drug injection site from the Lethbridge Overdose Prevention Society.

“Social issues” took second place with 21 per cent and COVID-19 came in third at 18 per cent.

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Under the COVID category, there were several mentions of a “lack of information”, “mandatory mask bylaw”, and “school re-openings during the pandemic.”

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, 94 per cent of respondents said their quality of life in Lethbridge was “very good” or “good.” However, the number who said “good” instead of “very good” grew this year.

The main reasons that peoples’ quality of life was improving included improved employment/jobs, improved municipal development (more houses), and curbside recycling.

Conversely, quality of life was changed for the worst thanks to drugs/injection site, crime, governance, and COVID-19.

When it comes to where the municipal government should increase spending, the greatest preference was for snow removal (52 per cent), followed by ambulance services (45 per cent) and police services (44 per cent).

Residents felt the city should reduce funding for arts projects (23 per cent), emergency services (21 per cent), and the maintenance of parks, pathways, and outdoor services (18 per cent).

Lethbridge City Council started deliberations this week for the 2021-2022 Operating Budget. The live discussions can be viewed here.

The full survey results can be found online here.