Surrey taxpayers will foot the bill for Mayor Doug McCallum’s defence team, the city confirmed Monday.

Special prosecutor Richard Fowler approved a charge of public mischief against McCallum on Friday, concerning “events that allegedly occurred” on Sept. 4 in South Surrey.

McCallum is to make his first court appearance in Surrey Provincial Court on Jan. 25.

RELATED: Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum charged with public mischief in run-over foot case

McCallum’s public mischief charge stems from a confrontation at the South Point Save-On-Food on Sept. 4. On Sept. 5, the mayor told media he was “run over by a vehicle” after speaking to a group of residents collecting signatures for the ElectionsBC-authorized Surrey Police Vote petition. McCallum said he visited the Save-On-Foods to grocery shop.

The city said it will pay McCallum’s legal bills as part of section seven of Bylaw 15912.

The section says, in part, that “the City will indemnify its Municipal Officials against payment of amounts required or incurred to defend an action, prosecution or claim brought against a Municipal Official in connection with the exercise or intended exercise of the person’s powers or the performance or intended performance of the person’s duties or functions including satisfaction of a judgment, award or penalty imposed in relation to the forgoing.”

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