Support for Division of HRM Increases
HALIFAX: Support for splitting HRM into two municipal units has increased in the past three months, according to the most recent survey conducted by Corporate Research Associates, Inc. Six in ten (61%, up from 55% in May 2008) HRM residents support dividing the municipality into two units, one to serve rural residents and one to serve urban residents, while three in ten oppose (30%, compared with 34%) and a small number (9%, compared with 11%) did not offer a response.
Support for the division of HRM is strongest in the rural areas of the municipality (66%), however, the majority of residents support such a division in all parts of HRM, with 61% of residents in Bedford/Sackville in support, followed by Halifax (59%) and Dartmouth (57%).
In addition, residents in the HRM indicate they would be more likely to vote for a mayoral candidate who supports the division of the HRM into two municipal units. One-half of HRM residents indicate they would be more likely to vote for such a candidate (53%), while less than three in ten would be less likely (27%), and a small number (8%) say it makes no difference in their opinion.
“The needs of urban residents and rural residents are sufficiently different from each other that residents are clearly looking for separate councils to deal with these different realities,” according to Don Mills, President and CEO of CRA. “The current governance structure in the HRM is not working and perhaps it is time to face the real issue.”
These results are part of the CRA HalifaxUrban Report, an independent survey of Halifax Regional Municipality residents. The results are based on a sample of 401 adult residents, conducted from July 31 to August 15, 2008 with results accurate to within +4.9 percentage points, 95 out of 100 times.
For more information, please contact: Don Mills, President and CEO at (902) 722-3100.
| As you may or may not know, since the HRM amalgamation, Nova Scotia no longer has a capital city. Do you support or oppose splitting HRM into two municipal units, one for rural residents called the County of Halifax and one for urban residents, called the City of Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia? | |||||||
| Winter
2005 |
Winter
2006 |
Winter
2007 |
Summer 2007 | Winter
2008 |
Spring
2008 |
Summer
2008 |
|
| Support | 48% | 57% | 51% | 58% | 51% | 55% | 61% |
| Oppose | 39% | 35% | 37% | 33% | 37% | 34% | 30% |
| Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for a candidate for mayor that supported the division of the HRM into two municipal units, one to serve county or rural residents, and one to serve city or urban residents? | |
| Summer 2008 | |
| More likely | 53% |
| Less likely | 27% |
| Neither more nor less | 8% |
| Don’t know / No answer | 12% |
Sample: 401 HRM residents (18 years plus), Interview Dates: July 31 to August 15, 2008
Margin of Sampling Error: ±4.9 percentage points (95% confidence level)
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