DELTA Mayor George V. Harvie, as Chair of the Delta Police Board, recently sent a letter to Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth, seeking his support to revise the composition of the police board to include one City councillor and one School Trustee as vacancies become available.

Harvie wrote: “As Mayor of Delta and Chair of the Delta Police Board, it has become evident we require additional representation on the Delta Police Board to ensure effective and community-minded oversight.
He noted: “The cots of keeping the community safe through effective policing services has risen by nearly 30% over the last five years to almost $54 million in 2023. Policing services is the largest item in the City of Delta’s budget, accounting for approximately one quarter of the City’s property tax draw. Since councillors are ineligible to serve on the Police Boards, policing is also the only part of the City’s budget that is essentially outside the control of the Council.”

He added: “Adding a councillor and a school trustee to the Delta Police Board would enhance good governance for the community and provide greater oversight of the community’s tax dollars, while continuing to ensure the Police Board operates at an arm’s length from local government politics.”