Olivia Chow : Olivia Chow’s Approval Rating Plummets Post 2024 Budget Release: Poll

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s approval rating has taken a hit in the wake of the city’s recently unveiled 2024 budget, as revealed by a new poll conducted by Liaison Strategies.

The poll, released on Monday, indicates that Chow’s approval rating has dipped to 55 percent, a significant decline from previous months when her approval ratings ranged from 71 to 75 percent.

“The Olivia Chow honeymoon is over,” stated David Valentin, the principal at Liaison Strategies.

One of the major factors contributing to the drop in support for Mayor Chow is the 2024 budget, according to Valentin.

The poll shows that only 47 percent of Toronto residents approve of the proposed budget, which entails homeowners paying an additional 9.5 percent in taxes this year.

While Mayor Chow received positive ratings for her efforts in establishing Toronto’s rapport with other levels of government (65 percent) and her initiatives for affordable housing (64 percent), only 48 percent of respondents approved of her work in dealing with crime, Valentin noted.

“Support for diverting funds from the Toronto Police Service to social services has decreased from 39 percent to 31 percent, with 44 percent now opposing the measure,” Valentin added.

Interestingly, only 17 percent of respondents ranked crime as the most important issue facing the city. Affordable housing was identified as the top concern by 36 percent of respondents, while 21 percent believed transit was the primary issue Toronto is currently facing.

Prior to Mayor Chow assuming office, most respondents surveyed during the election believed that Toronto was moving in the wrong direction. However, this sentiment has significantly changed, with 49 percent of respondents now stating that the city is moving in the right direction, as highlighted by Valentin.

“The numbers indicate that the majority of Torontonians are satisfied with the current state of affairs. It was always going to be a challenge for any politician to maintain approval ratings in the 70 percent range, especially when tough conversations about the budget and tax rates take center stage,” Valentin explained.

The poll surveyed 875 Toronto residents between February 5th and February 6th, with an accuracy rate of plus or minus 3.31 percent, 19 times out of 20.