FORMER mayor Doug McCallum on Monday condemned Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke’s decision to reject the Surrey School District’s proposal for new school sites, labeling it as a move driven by ‘petty and vindictive politics.’

“This decision by Mayor Locke is not only wrong but dangerously short-sighted,” McCallum said. “Her apparent vendetta against the provincial government is now adversely affecting our children’s education. This is not leadership; it’s petty politics at its worst.”

McCallum criticized the current administration for blocking the Surrey School Board’s efforts to secure new school sites, a crucial step in expanding the capacity of Surrey’s rapidly growing school system.

“The school board should not be hindered in its vital work of acquiring new sites for schools. We cannot afford to lose months, days, or even hours in securing land and constructing new schools. The school system has major backlogs and needs to be expanded urgently,” he added.

“This delay not only puts immense pressure on our already strained school system but also disregards the future of our youth,” McCallum pointed out. “It’s a clear indication of how out of touch Mayor Locke is with the needs and aspirations of Surrey residents.”

McCallum went on to describe Locke’s approach to governance as ‘bullying’ and ‘my way or the highway,’ expressing deep concern over the implications of such a stance on the city’s progress and well-being.

“Mayor Locke should be ashamed of stooping to such levels of petty politics, especially when it involves the education of our children. The residents of Surrey deserve better than this kind of failed leadership, which is now evidently dragging down our youth into unnecessary political battles,” McCallum asserted.