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Poll finds Albertans want quality public services from their municipal governments.

With municipal elections a few days away, the Alberta Division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) today released results from a poll that reveal Albertans’ priorities for their municipal governments.

Albertans are saying very clearly they value quality public services over tax cuts,” said CUPE Alberta president Dennis Mol. “They don’t want cutbacks to important services that might affect the quality of their drinking water, their children’s schools, public transit or garbage and recycling schedules.”

The candidates that are successful next week need to heed the message that citizens are giving them – services over tax cuts.”

The poll found that two-thirds of Albertans want spending on public services maintained or increased, with less than one in ten calling for cutbacks. It also found that three times as many voters would prefer increased taxes to protect public services over cuts in services to hold the line on taxes.

Albertans also support elected school boards, 57 per cent would oppose any move by the provincial government to replace elected boards with appointed centralized boards, while only 19 per cent would support it.

Albertans appreciate the services and programs provided by municipalities and school boards and they see their taxes as an investment into those services. After election day, we will be watching to make sure those newly elected councilors, mayors and trustees do what Albertans want them to do,” Mol concluded.

The poll, conducted by Environics, has a sample size of 931 Albertans.