EVEN as Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke tried yet another one of her desperate scare tactics on Saturday in connection with the policing budget for the City, the Surrey Police Service hit back by pointing out that it “has repeatedly disputed the financial numbers offered by those opposed to the policing transition, adding: “We believe in the strength and accuracy of our submission to the province.”
The SPS said: “More importantly, we believe in the progressive policing model that we are able to deliver through our dedicated staff of nearly 400. Once again, we wish to allow the province the time and space, free from politics, to make the appropriate decision for public safety in Surrey and for the rest of British Columbia.”
Government sources say that the Province rejected the bogus figures that the City and the RCMP submitted about their ability to ensure a proper number of officers for adequate security, whereas the SPS’s figures were reassuring. That is why the Province had to ask the different parties involved in the policing transition dispute to resubmit their plans.
Locke immediately launched another of her scare tactic moves, but was exposed by others. Quite apparently, both the City and the RCMP know their latest submissions also lack merit, so on Saturday (February 18), Locke in a carefully calculated move during the long weekend sent another one of her press releases about the City’s budget to put pressure on the Province and try to incite Surrey-ites against the ongoing transition with fudged figures.
LOCKE announced in a long press release that the City of Surrey’s 2023-2027 General Operating and Capital Budgets were now available for the public to view, adding: “More than half of the property tax increases for 2023 is to fund the costs associated with the police transition.”
But her figures are all apparently distorted and / or made up and cannot be relied on. This is quite obviously another one of her scare strategies in partnership with the RCMP that is desperately trying to cling on to Surrey although the majority of Surrey-ites want to get rid of them.
Locke said that a public meeting of the Finance Committee will be held March 6 at 2 p.m. to consider the 2023 Budget. The public can provide comment in person at the Finance Committee meeting or through written submissions. The deadline for written comments is noon on Friday, March 3.Â
The Draft 2023 Budgets and Five-Year Plan can be viewed here.
So why didn’t Locke wait until Tuesday (that is, after the end of the long weekend) to say the same thing?
Because she feared that she would have been exposed right away — which is what the VOICE is doing now anyway!
READ ALSO:
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke using shameless tactics in promoting RCMP!
