“Use the Province’s funding to lower property taxes to single digits”

SAFE Surrey Coalition Councillor Mandeep Nagra on Monday called on Mayor Brenda Locke and City Council to accept the Province’s recommendation to continue with the Surrey Police Service (SPS) transition.

Nagra believes that the Province’s commitment to supporting the SPS transition by providing approximately $30 million per year in funding presents a unique opportunity to lower property taxes and provide much-needed relief for Surrey residents, who are struggling to make ends meet amid a looming recession and skyrocketing inflation

“The mayor’s refusal to accept the Province’s offer to support the SPS transition and lower property taxes is a betrayal of Surrey residents,” said Nagra. “Her party’s decision to raise property taxes to a historic high of 12.5% is making life harder for working families and small businesses in our city. We must act now to reverse this decision and use the Province’s funding to lower property taxes to single digits.”

Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum, who was a champion for a community-based urban police force and kept property taxes at a historically low rate of 2.5%, also spoke out in support of Nagra’s call to lower property taxes for Surrey residents.

“The Province’s funding support for the SPS transition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide the best public safety services to our residents while also solving the issue that the Council has been complaining about, which is the money,” said McCallum. “The mayor and city council must put the interests of Surrey residents first and accept the Province’s offer of funding support and lower property taxes now.”

Nagra pointed out: “It’s a common sense solution, we must seize this opportunity to make a real difference for Surrey residents. We cannot afford to wait any longer. The mayor and City Council must act now to accept the Province’s funding support for the SPS transition and lower property taxes to provide much-needed relief to our residents.”