Public outreach results in over 5,700 web and open house visits and 3,300 survey responses

THE City of Surrey has completed public engagement to receive feedback on community priorities and preferred funding options for the 2023 budget.

From January 14 to 22, community members had the opportunity to attend any of five open houses and complete an online survey to learn about the budget process and give feedback to help inform a draft budget for Council consideration.

“It was a pleasure to speak to so many community members at the open houses and hear about what matters most to them,” said Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke. “I am glad so many people took the opportunity to provide feedback at our open houses. Public engagement is key to building a transparent process and building a budget that addresses the priorities of Surrey residents and business owners.”

Engagement and communications efforts sought to reach as many community members as possible, resulting in a turnout of 5,781 web and open house visits and a total of 3,304 online survey respondents representing all Surrey communities.

Policing, public safety and crime prevention, as well as infrastructure (roads, transportation and sustainable transportation) and housing and affordability were key themes that emerged as priorities identified by survey respondents for the City to consider as part of the upcoming budget. Respondents also provided feedback on possible funding options.

The full engagement results were included in a corporate report submitted to the City’s Finance Committee on Monday, January 30. The general operating and capital budgets will be drafted for Finance Committee review and consideration.

The draft budgets will be available for public comment in advance of their presentation at a public hearing in March before final adoption in April (target timeframes).

View the full engagement report on the City’s website and learn more about the budget engagement process at surrey.ca/budget2023.