SURREY First Councillor Linda Annis said on Friday that the decision by Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke to take the Province of British Columbia to court over the police transition is a costly stalling tactic, with Surrey residents forced to pick up the bill.

“This whole thing isn’t about what’s good for our city, it is clearly about political ego,” noted Annis. “Our taxpayers paid more than $300,000 to defend Doug McCallum around the issue of having his foot run over in a grocery store parking lot. Can you imagine the time it will take and the millions it will cost to take the province to court over the transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service (SPS)! Clearly, tax dollars don’t mean anything to Brenda Locke.”

(McCallum was acquitted and Surrey RCMP was slammed for making up a false case against him and wasting taxpayers’ money just because he wanted to replace them with a municipal police force.)

Annis said the decision to go to court is just more stalling on the part of the mayor, and the wasted time and money are costly roadblocks that get in the way of finalizing the transition to the SPS.

“Surrey taxpayers are looking for leadership and they’re not finding it at city hall these days,” said Annis. “The province has made the final decision, and the vast majority of our residents simply want to get the transition completed so city council can focus on other important issues such as transit, hospitals, infrastructure, and schools. Instead, Mayor Locke has sidelined these other important issues by continuing her personal fight with the provincial government. This is really a case of political ego running wild, with taxpayers forced to pay the bill.”

Annis also said the mayor’s decision to have former RCMP Deputy Commissioner Peter German act as spokesperson for the city on the transition is one more cost that taxpayers will need to pay, even though the mayor should be the city’s spokesperson.

“I know Peter German well and respect him, but taxpayers want to hear from their mayor,” explained Annis. “Instead, we have a very costly consultant who is stepping into her shoes. Surrey taxpayers are being shortchanged in the leadership department and when all the costs are in, they will be shocked by just how much political ego costs.”