It害羞草研究所檚 not every day you see a civic slate calling for legislation enabling the recall of council members but that害羞草研究所檚 what the Safe Surrey Coalition is doing.
Some political rivals are questioning the motive.
The SSC issued a press release Wednesday morning to announce it害羞草研究所檚 calling on B.C. Minister of Municipal Affairs Anne Kang to introduce such legislation, 害羞草研究所渋nspired by Alberta害羞草研究所檚 model.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e seen the need for such legislation in the face of governance challenges in Surrey and other jurisdictions,害羞草研究所� SSC Coun. Doug Elford stated in the press release.
害羞草研究所淩ecall legislation would empower citizens and ensure elected officials are fiscally responsible and keep property taxes affordable. Mayor Brenda Locke campaigned for this, but her leadership has been called into question due to ongoing issues at Surrey City Hall.害羞草研究所�
The SSC suggests a recall threshold of 50 per cent of the total votes cast for an official. 害羞草研究所淭his isn害羞草研究所檛 just about Surrey,害羞草研究所� Coun. Mandeep Nagra stated in the press release. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 about ensuring all municipal leaders in B.C. are accountable to their constituents.害羞草研究所�
Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum, who was defeated by Locke in the 2022 civic election, is also quoted in the press release.
害羞草研究所淢ayor Locke害羞草研究所檚 refusal to adequately fund the police service, her spending on partisan political advertisements with taxpayer dollars, and her reckless decisions leading to increased property taxes are exactly why we need recall legislation. Residents deserve the right to hold their leaders accountable,害羞草研究所� McCallum said.
Locke dismissed this as 害羞草研究所渏ust a distraction by them. I think the real issue is they don害羞草研究所檛 like our position on the police transition.
害羞草研究所淐ertainly lots and lots of people talked about it (a recall mechanism) under McCallum害羞草研究所檚 administration,害羞草研究所� she recalled. 害羞草研究所淭o me this is just another one of their silly little distractions.害羞草研究所�
Surrey Connect Coun. Harry Bains noted there害羞草研究所檚 a lot of arguments for and against recall legislation. 害羞草研究所淥ne of the arguments against it is always that it害羞草研究所檚 going to be weaponized and I feel that害羞草研究所檚 what害羞草研究所檚 happening here, that can be used as a weapon against elected officials. As elected officials, sometimes we have to make unpopular choices, we have to make choices that are hard, we have to be the adults in the room and we have to do so for the good of the city.害羞草研究所�
Bains said the use of recall legislation to attack politicians might in the long run make it impossible for elected officials to make the right decisions because they might be unpopular. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 a huge concern when you害羞草研究所檙e an elected official and your sole duty is to take care of the city and represent the city that you害羞草研究所檙e elected in.害羞草研究所�
Coun. Linda Annis, of Surrey First, said she害羞草研究所檚 surprised there isn害羞草研究所檛 already recall legislation for civic elected officials other than if they are criminally convicted. 害羞草研究所淭o me, it should be aligned with what we do provincially and federally,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淵ou know, if we害羞草研究所檙e not doing our job and the people aren害羞草研究所檛 happy there should be a process in place. They shouldn害羞草研究所檛 have to wait four years to voice their opinion. I think it害羞草研究所檚 just good practice for any elected official anywhere 害羞草研究所� we need to be held accountable.害羞草研究所�
Coun. Gordon Hepner, of Surrey Connect, said he害羞草研究所檚 not against legislation for recall but said when it害羞草研究所檚 used to try to change the political direction of a politician through legislation, 害羞草研究所渢hat害羞草研究所檚 not democracy害羞草研究所hat害羞草研究所檚 just a weapon in order to get the way thatthey see fit, not that the public saw during the time at the ballot box.
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 politicking and weaponizing legislation,害羞草研究所� Hepner added. 害羞草研究所淲e are a democracy. I am sure that there are many people inSurrey that thought that would have been handy in McCallum害羞草研究所檚 time in office.害羞草研究所� He added it might have 害羞草研究所渋n fact come in handywith all the chaos around McCallum.害羞草研究所�
Locke echoed that, charging that the SSC害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渕ismanagement, their lack of financial accountability,害羞草研究所� is the reason why the city isin the position it is today 害羞草研究所渁nd they害羞草研究所檙e saying that somehow we should be the one to take the hit for their mismanagement fromthe beginning. It害羞草研究所檚 truly the pot calling the kettle black, I can害羞草研究所檛 think of a truer description of this.
害羞草研究所淭his is pretty rich, pretty rich on their part.害羞草研究所�
Coun. Rob Stutt, also of Surrey Connect, doesn害羞草研究所檛 think the SSC害羞草研究所檚 request to Kang meets the criteria of a public interest in this case. 害羞草研究所淚n this particular case I guess we have to get back to the elephant in the room. In this particular case the reason that we害羞草研究所檙e in the situation that we害羞草研究所檙e in is because of the Safe Surrey Coalition害羞草研究所檚 poor decision-making.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 would suggest that their attempt to influence Minister Kang has nothing to do with the genuine interest of having recall legislation at the municipal level,害羞草研究所� Stutt said. 害羞草研究所淚f there was provision for recall of municipal officials there害羞草研究所檚 a strong likelihood that mayor McCallum would not have finished his term. I害羞草研究所檓 thinking careful what you wish for, because if that legislation had害羞草研究所檝e been in effect as long as it has been for the other levels of government, he probably wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have survived his term.害羞草研究所�
