Surrey council sitting as the finance committee rejected the city’s proposed budget for 2023 after taking it on the chin from angry Surrey residents at a public hearing on Monday afternoon.
“It is very challenging times. We were left, frankly, with a fiscal mess,” Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said, forecasting budget pain “way worse in perpetuity.”
Coun. Mandeep Nagra was not at the meeting.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said at the outset of the meeting at city hall that with help from a $89.9 million provincial government grant a potential 9.5 per cent property tax increase related specifically to the city’s policing transition would lower that to 4.5 per cent – a process she called a “misguided policing experiment.”
That would then lower a 17.5 per cent tax increase for 2023 to 12.5 per cent. Also factoring in a three per cent utility rates hike, a 20.5 per cent increase would become 15.5 per cent. The $89.9 million is Surrey’s slice of the $1 billion Growing Communities Fund announced by Premier David Eby three weeks ago.
“The proposed budget will be updated with the new infrastructure funds from the province. In this case, revisiting the budget to factor in the new monies will result in a decrease from the property tax rate currently proposed,” Locke said. “While we await for the final numbers from finance I am confident that policing surcharge will be decreased from the 9.5 to 4.5 per cent. That’s a five per cent cut from what was currently proposed. And just to be clear, this covers only the cost of unwinding two police forces to have only the RCMP as the police of jurisdiction in Surrey and does not cover the extra cost that will occur if we continue ahead with this costly transition.”
But after hearing from residents, council voted to have city staff incorporate the $89.9 million into the financial plan and limit this year’s tax increase to no more than 12.5 per cent.
The committee heard from angry resident after angry resident at the public hearing after Surrey general manager of finance Kam Grewal presented the 2023 Five-Year (2023-2027) general operating and capital financial plan.
Grewal said it’s costing Surrey taxpayers $8 million per month to carry both the Surrey RCMP and the Surrey Police Service.
Nineteen people were on the speakers list and 20 others registered opposition to the budget but elected not to speak. Speakers are granted three minutes apiece to address the committee.
“The proposed budget is extremely high, and it is unethical and wrong,” one speaker said, calling on council to resign.
Former Safe Surrey Coalition councillor Laurie Guerra, who was defeated in the last election, slammed the proposed budget as “completely irresponsible” and asked council why it would not expect Surrey residents to be “outraged.”
“I implore you to do the right thing and go back to the drawing board and rethink this,” she said.
Another suggested council could halt the 84 Avenue connection between 140 Street and King George Boulevard to “save money.”
A long-time Surrey resident, a senior citizen, said over the last four years his property taxes have increased to $4,500 from $2,700. “Cut the bloated budgets,” he demanded.
A Panorama Ridge resident called on council to “stop going after” homeowners. Surrey, he said, is becoming an area for the rich “and those who scam the system.”
A Fraser Heights resident holding up a cardboard sign that read “Not steal from us” told council its members should cut their own salaries.
Said another speaker, “Honestly, you are pushing people over the edge.”
“We’re bleeding money,” a Hazelmere resident told council.
“Cut it out, stop it,” one speaker said. “We don’t have the money.”
A 77-year-old woman asked the politicians, “How do you people expect us to live? I just want to know. Shame on you.”
Another woman asked council “how can you sleep at night?
“Please control your expenses, I beg you.”
During debate, Coun. Harry Bains said he wouldn’t support the budget as presented.
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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