Doug McCallum slams Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke for wasting taxpayers’ money on partisan attack ads

Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum Photo by JAY SHARMA of Mahi Photo Studio

“If she wishes to engage in political battles, she should do so using her political party’s funds”

 

FORMER Surrey mayor Doug McCallum on Tuesday slammed Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, accusing her of squandering millions of taxpayer money and irresponsibly using millions of dollars of public funds for partisan attack ads.

“In the past year alone, Mayor Locke has not only failed to keep her election promise but has also plunged the city into financial recklessness,” McCallum said. “After wasting millions of taxpayer dollars in a fruitless endeavor to keep her election promise, she is now funneling millions more into partisan attack ads against the provincial government to deflect blame for her own failures. This is not only unethical but a blatant misuse of the taxpayers’ hard-earned money.”

McCallum was referring to billboards — “NDP police transition WILL COST YOU MORE” — paid for by the City of Surrey.

McCallum pointed out the irony of the situation where the residents of Surrey are now faced with the possibility of increased property taxes due to Locke’s mismanagement and wasteful spending on personal vendettas.

“Residents of Surrey should not bear the financial burden of Mayor Locke’s personal vendettas,” McCallum emphasized. “Never in the history of our city has a mayor used millions in taxpayer dollars for partisan attack ads. This is an unprecedented misuse of public funds for personal vendettas. If she wishes to engage in political battles, she should do so using her political party’s funds, not the coffers of the city. This is a matter of basic governance ethics and fiscal responsibility.”

In a direct challenge, McCallum asked: “Will Mayor Locke be transparent with the citizens of Surrey and disclose exactly how many millions of taxpayer dollars she plans to spend on these partisan attack ads?”

McCallum also highlighted the potential long-term impacts of such actions on the city’s financial health and governance credibility.

He pointed out: “Mayor Locke’s egotistical and partisan agenda is not just a lapse in judgment; it’s a dangerous precedent that risks the financial stability of our city and erodes trust in our elected officials. Governing should be for the benefit of all residents, not a platform for using taxpayer dollars on personal partisan agendas.”

McCallum called on the citizens of Surrey to demand accountability and transparency from their leaders, stressing the importance of prudent financial management and responsible governance.

“This is a critical moment for Surrey,” McCallum stressed. “We must demand better from our leaders. It’s time to put the interests of Surrey and its citizens first.”

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