The Safe Surrey Coalition majority on council denied a motion from Coun. Brenda Locke that called for all policing costs in Surrey to be recorded “line-by-line” in the 2022 city budget.
Locke presented her motion in July, saying this would provide Surrey residents with “the most accurate and transparent information of where and how their tax dollars are being spent.”
READ ALSO: Locke wants Surrey policing costs recorded ‘line-by-line’ in 2022 city budget
“Given that the police transition is a significant new expense to taxpayers, presenting all policing costs on a line by line basis would provide the kind of transparency expected by the public on this project,” Locke said in July. She re-iterated that on Monday.
“As everybody knows this is probably the largest, or one of the larger projects that the City of Surrey is doing and there is certainly enough controversy around it to go around,” she said. “But I think the financial piece is something the residents deserve to have a really good handle on, I think it’s important that they know exactly what’s happening with the transition.
“I hope we can do this and be transparent with the residents, specifically around the financial piece,” Locke said.
Melissa Granum, executive director of the Surrey Police Board, told the Now-Leader that “the overall budget for the transition is $63.7 million and this is what is anticipated to be the total cost.”
Coun. Linda Annis said she “wholeheartedly” supported the motion as people don’t understand what the transition is going to cost.
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