Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is taking it on the chin from political rivals who say the city害羞草研究所檚 $500,000 PR campaign against the Surrey Police Service 害羞草研究所� aka 害羞草研究所淣DP police transition害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� is expensive political propaganda being funded by already overburdened taxpayers.

The campaign includes social media posts, a direct-mail householder, and electronic billboard displays that, under the heading 害羞草研究所淣DP police transition WILL COST YOU MORE,害羞草研究所� claim it will cost $464 million more over the next 10 years, and forecasts a MASSIVE DOUBLE-DIGIT tax increase meaning LESS $ for schools, health and transit.

害羞草研究所淭he expenditure of something this size should be coming before council in an open council meeting,害羞草研究所� Coun. Linda Annis said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not good use of taxpayers害羞草研究所� money, particularly when the information to me feels like misinformation because it害羞草研究所檚 not based on anything that害羞草研究所檚 come before council.害羞草研究所�

Locke said there害羞草研究所檚 three, maybe four such billboards. Asked if it was voted on in closed council, she replied she 害羞草研究所渃an害羞草研究所檛 speak to that害羞草研究所� but added that the city manager has 害羞草研究所渢he ability to make decisions, discretionary spending. I don害羞草研究所檛 think this is any surprise to anybody that we have to do an information campaign, there害羞草研究所檚 no doubt about it. The public needs to be educated, the public needs to know. They want to know what is the cost of this very unprecedented decision by the solicitor general.害羞草研究所�

Locke added the city through this is 害羞草研究所渄oing the work to be transparent, the very work that should have been done at the beginning. This was all done behind closed doors and never did see the light of day.害羞草研究所�

As for Annis害羞草研究所檚 comment about not seeing this information come before council, Locke said 害羞草研究所淚 think she better go check her notes. I mean, we absolutely know that the $464 million that has come to us, she absolutely knows that.

害羞草研究所淐ouncillor Annis is the one that has been saying it constantly, that there needs to be the numbers, that the numbers need to be shared with the public, that they had to be exposed and so this is a way of doing it and we must do it, the taxpayer needs to know.害羞草研究所�

Meantime, former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum, who Locke defeated in the last civic election, issued a statement Wednesday condemning Locke using tax money for 害羞草研究所減artisan political ads.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭hese claims are not just misleading, they害羞草研究所檙e patently false,害羞草研究所� he charged. 害羞草研究所淭he funding for schools, health, and transit falls under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, not the City of Surrey. This blatant spread of misinformation by Mayor Locke shows a disturbing pattern of deceit, consistent with her previous misinformation about the transition costs and misleading the public and 27 metro Vancouver mayors.害羞草研究所�

The campaign has its supporters.

害羞草研究所淚t needs to be published to the population in Surrey, educating them on the cost of transitioning to a very expensive and unaffordable and wanted Transition for our own police force,害羞草研究所� resident Linda Ypenburg wrote in an email to the Now-Leader.

Last month Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth accused the City of Surrey of being 害羞草研究所渙bstructionist害羞草研究所� against the provincial government害羞草研究所檚 efforts to advance the city害羞草研究所檚 policing transition from the Surrey RCMP to SPS. To that, Locke replied, 害羞草研究所淚 think the challenge that Mr. Farnworth has is he害羞草研究所檚 expecting absolute obedience by cities, and that is patently unfair and we害羞草研究所檙e going to make sure that due diligence is done for the taxpayer, period.害羞草研究所�

The city filed a challenge to the 害羞草研究所榗onstitutionality害羞草研究所� of the provincial government害羞草研究所檚 decision to replace the Surrey RCMP with the Surrey Police Service in B.C. Supreme Court in November.

害羞草研究所淪hould the courts make the decision to stay on track with the transition the public are going to be absolutely hit with enormous taxes and these are going to be taxes imposed on them by the NDP and so we need to make sure the public know the cost,害羞草研究所� Locke said Wednesday.