The Probe telephone survey, conducted in late February and early March, found 51 per cent of Winnipeg adults would like the city to keep the freeze, which began during the final year of the Susan Thompson administration and was maintained by mayors Glen Murray and Sam Katz.
But the survey also found more than a third of respondents -- 36 per cent -- were willing to see property taxes increase for the first time in more than a decade, given the increased cost of road construction and infrastructure repairs since 1998.
Katz said he isn't surprised so many Winnipeggers are willing to open their wallets, given the way the question was worded.
"Do I believe a third of our citizens would more property taxes? Yeah, providing of course they knew it was going into specific projects, and not some black hole," the mayor said earlier this week in an interview.
"If they knew it was going to fix their sidewalks and streets, I believe that. But if they think it would go into general revenues, I'm not convinced."
Even less convinced is Adrienne Batra, the Manitoba director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, who believes Probe Research asked a misleading question.
"I'm actually surprised the end-the-freeze (contingent) is actually as low as it is, considering the way the question is worded," she said.
"Whenever you ask citizens these types of polling questions, everyone's visceral response tends to be 'of course not!' So it's really important how the question is laid out."
Probe Research also asked Winnipeggers to choose between two city spending priorities: fixing roads and infrastructure, or building bus rapid transit.
Slightly more than one half of survey respondents chose the repairs, while just more than a quarter chose rapid transit.
But that result is also meaningless, charged Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, a long-time rapid transit supporter and opponent of urban sprawl.
"They've put together a false dichotomy. Most cities do both," said Gerbasi, adding support for improving infrastructure does not translate into support for all forms of new roads.
"Most people think about their front street every day. If you ask them about roads, they're not thinking about building some new expressway.
"The question is misleading, because it creates an either-or situation."
Katz agreed, even though the mayor usually opposes Gerbasi on rapid-transit issues.
"Obviously, there are people who care about both roads and rapid transit," he said. "But when they're pitted against each other, there's going to be one, and that's roads.
"I don't think anyone should be shocked by that."
bartley.kives@freepress.mb.caTHE QUESTION
"Municipal property taxes have not increased in Winnipeg
since 1998. Some people have suggested that given the current state of
our city's roads and general infrastructure -- and the increased cost
of building and maintaining our city since 1998 -- it is now time to
end the freeze of Winnipeg property taxes. What do you think?"
THE RESPONSE
Keep the freeze: 51 per cent
End the freeze: 36 per cent
It depends: 8 per cent
Unsure: 5 per cent
THE QUESTION
"Building a bus rapid transit system that would link Winnipeg's
suburbs with the downtown and repairing the city's roads and
infrastructure have both been in the news lately. If you would tell the
city to devote its attention and resources to just one of these two
things, which one would it be?"
THE RESPONSE
Fix roads and infrastructure: 69 per cent
Build rapid transit: 27 per cent
Survey methodology
Probe Research surveyed a representative sample of 600 Winnipeg adults
by telephone between Feb. 27 and March 6 2008. Given the sample size,
the researchers can say with 95-per-cent certainty that the results are
accurate within a four-per-cent margin of error.