According Corporate Research Associates, 48 per cent want HRM separated into urban and rural municipalities

More than 22 years after amalgamation, almost half of those living in Halifax Regional Municipality support the idea of splitting it in two.

According the Corporate Research Associates' Urban Report released Wednesday, 48 per cent want HRM separated into urban and rural municipalities, while 40 per cent oppose the idea. Eleven per cent had no answer to the question on the survey.

Support for the idea is higher in non-urban areas, where 54 per cent are in favour. In the Halifax and Dartmouth cores, support is at 47 per cent and 48 per cent respectively.

According to CRA, the only areas where the majority of residents are against the idea are in Bedford and Sackville, where 49 per cent are opposed and 41 per cent are for the split.

The Urban Report also measured satisfaction with the current municipal government.

A healthy majority of residents said they were satisfied with the council under Mayor Mike Savage, however this quarter is the lowest level of the year.

Satisfaction was at 72 per cent in February, went down to 70 per cent by August and now stands at 66 per cent.

The study also measured consumer confidence in Halifax.

The Consumer Confidence Index is at 103.6, the same level reported in August. This year's high was in February where it reached 106.6.

CRA conducted their telephone survey of 400 adults in Halifax CMA between October 22 to November 15, 2018.

They say overall results are accurate to within ±4.9 percentage points, 95 out of 100 times.