Calgary trust in city government hits 56 per cent, highest since 2018

The City of Calgary issued the 2026 Fall Research Results at 6:26 p.m. UTC on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, ahead of a presentation to City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. The release says 56 per cent of residents trust The City, up from 47 per cent last year and the highest level recorded since 2018.¹

Dissatisfaction fell to 16 per cent from 24 per cent, the release says. Service satisfaction rose to 73 per cent from 67 per cent in fall 2025, its highest level since 2019.¹

Quality of life drew a good rating from 77 per cent of residents, up from 71 per cent. Forty-nine per cent said they receive good value for their municipal tax dollars, up from 42 per cent.¹

Chief Administrative Officer David Duckworth said the research shows growing confidence in Calgary's future and in The City as its municipal government. He said Calgary outperforms comparable Canadian municipalities on quality of life, service satisfaction, trust and value for tax dollars, but that greater confidence also brings high expectations.¹

Our responsibility is to turn that optimism into action and keep delivering for Calgarians as our city grows.¹David Duckworth, chief administrative officer, The City of Calgary

Traffic and roads remain the most frequently named priority at 36 per cent, followed by crime, safety and policing at 23 per cent, homelessness, poverty and affordable housing at 18 per cent, and transit at 15 per cent. The release says mentions of pedestrian safety, water infrastructure and aggressive driving increased compared with previous surveys.¹

Eighty-two per cent of Calgarians agreed now is a good time for The City to invest in new projects such as roads, public transportation and local facilities, according to the release. National Municipal Benchmarking results put Calgary 8 per cent higher on quality of life, 7 per cent higher on service satisfaction, 12 per cent higher on trust and 6 per cent higher on value for tax dollars than comparable municipalities.¹

The full results are available to the public now. The presentation to City Council is set for Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.¹