Premier David Eby said there will be no more money for the City of Surrey beyond $150 million that was promised by Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth this past summer to help the city shoulder the cost of transitioning to the Surrey Police Service from the Surrey RCMP.

含羞草研究社淭here is no more money,含羞草研究社� Eby told reporters in Victoria on Monday. 含羞草研究社淭here is no more money. There is $150 million on the table Surrey hasn含羞草研究社檛 taken us up on. They have a surplus in their policing budget, they have a surplus overall, there is no more money.

含羞草研究社淗aving that shadow-boxing discussion about money on line items that we don含羞草研究社檛 have awareness of, don含羞草研究社檛 know what the mayor含羞草研究社檚 talking about when she says there is more costs, it含羞草研究社檚 just impossible.含羞草研究社�

But Mayor Brenda Locke maintains those 含羞草研究社渓ine items含羞草研究社� can be found in the city含羞草研究社檚 Oct. 13 petition to the Supreme Court of British Columbia seeking a judicial review of Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth含羞草研究社檚 July 19 order for the city to continue with the transition to the SPS, contrary to the wishes of council含羞草研究社檚 majority.

含羞草研究社淗e needs to look at the petition, it含羞草研究社檚 outlined in the petition,含羞草研究社� Locke told the Now-Leader on Tuesday. 含羞草研究社淢aybe he hasn含羞草研究社檛 had a chance to look at it yet.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚 find it pretty disrespectful on behalf of both the premier and his solicitor general that they don含羞草研究社檛 lift a phone and call, they would rather do this through the media,含羞草研究社� Locke said, 含羞草研究社渁nd I don含羞草研究社檛 comply to that.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚 think they don含羞草研究社檛 know what to do and they are trying to pressure me into withdrawing the petition,含羞草研究社� Locke said. 含羞草研究社淭hey want to have a simple solution to a very, very complicated situation and they含羞草研究社檙e having a hard time proving their case. I have asked them many times to tell me why they含羞草研究社檙e doing this.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e got 72 years of RCMP doing a great job for the City of Surrey, we含羞草研究社檝e got a crime severity index that has declined for over a decade and all of a sudden now we含羞草研究社檙e saying they含羞草研究社檙e no longer keeping Surrey safe? I beg to differ.含羞草研究社�

The court petition claims the promised $150 million 含羞草研究社� which the city has not yet received 含羞草研究社� would leave Surrey with a shortfall of $85.4 million from fiscal years 2023 to 2027 含羞草研究社渆xclusive of anticipated capital costs.含羞草研究社�

Locke maintains the $150 million being offered toward the cost of the transition is not nearly enough to avoid massive tax increases for Surrey residents and would leave a funding shortfall of more than $314 million. The city estimates that, excluding costs of the transition, the SPS will annually cost $31.9 million more than keeping the RCMP and that dissolving the SPS to retain the Surrey RCMP would save Surrey about $235.4 million over the next five years.

含羞草研究社淟et me be very clear again 含羞草研究社� I will not sit on the sidelines and accept a provincial plan that will cost Surrey taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, lead to significant tax increases, and that will deliver no public safety benefit,含羞草研究社� she said during council含羞草研究社檚 regular meeting on Oct. 16.

The following day, Eby told reporters that the provincial government 含羞草研究社渉as committed to Surrey that we will support them, we understand their additional costs here, we will be working with that and I含羞草研究社檓 happy to have those discussions with Surrey.含羞草研究社�

Meantime, Locke sent a letter out to fellow mayors on Oct. 20 stating Surrey含羞草研究社檚 case, charging the provincial government with 含羞草研究社渃reating an environment for policing instability in the region含羞草研究社� and that it含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渢rying to take power over policing away from local governments.含羞草研究社�

She added in her letter she will be seeking 含羞草研究社渉undreds of millions more from the Province to protect Surrey taxpayers含羞草研究社� if it has the ability through 含羞草研究社渦nprecedented legislation含羞草研究社� to force the transition ahead.

If Surrey doesn含羞草研究社檛 maintain the RCMP as its police of jurisdiction, she told the mayors, Surrey含羞草研究社檚 share of division adminstrative costs 含羞草研究社� $32 million per year 含羞草研究社� will 含羞草研究社渘eed to be absorbed by all other municipalities across B.C. that continue to have RCMP provide policing services.含羞草研究社�

Locke told the Now-Leader she sent the letter 含羞草研究社渓etting them know that this is not just something that含羞草研究社檚 going to impact Surrey, that if you含羞草研究社檙e an RCMP jurisdiction you含羞草研究社檙e going to get hit with significant costs.含羞草研究社�