A Spectator/Nanos poll found that 37 per cent of the 1,000 voters polled picked those issues when they were asked an open-ended question about Hamilton’s challenges. Infrastructure (9.2 per cent), leadership (7.4 per cent), the Pan Am stadium (6.2 per cent), poverty (4.2 per cent) and downtown development (4.2 per cent) were also identified as top issues.

Though taxes and jobs are some of the most common responses, leadership isn’t usually top-of-mind for voters, said pollster Nik Nanos.

“Many times it’s not even on the list. Remember, people can say what they want,” he said. “About 7 per cent said that unprompted, which means there’s probably a subtext of concern about city hall that’s out in the electorate.”

A little more than 14 per cent of respondents said they were unsure about which issue is the most important. Other issues, like pollution and flooding, each garnered less than 2 per cent of the total response.

The poll also asked respondents to rank a list of city priorities: renewing the waterfront, reducing poverty, managing taxes, attracting jobs, or building light rail transit.

Thirty-six per cent of respondents chose attracting jobs as most important, 34.6 per cent picked managing taxes, and 19.1 per cent chose poverty reduction. Light rail and waterfront renewal got the least amount of responses, with 3.8 per cent of voters choosing light rail while 4.5 per cent picked waterfront renewal. Continued...