Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke questions why the Surrey Police Service bothered to stage a press event Thursday concerning the provisional budget for 2024 it submitted to the City of Surrey on Nov. 30. She says the police, like every other city department, need to get in line for their budget proposals to be considered by the finance committee.

含羞草研究社淚 have no idea why they called that meeting,含羞草研究社� Locke told the Now-Leader on Friday. 含羞草研究社淚t is exactly the same budget they gave us in November, they know that we含羞草研究社檙e going through our budgeting process, we don含羞草研究社檛 do anything independently of another and just like any city, we含羞草研究社檙e going through our budgeting process and they can come speak to us or speak to it at the public hearing if they choose. That含羞草研究社檚 their option, there含羞草研究社檚 no decision made, Mr. Serr knows that.

Surrey Police Board administrator Mike Serr unveiled details of the Surrey Police Service含羞草研究社檚 provisional budget for 2024 on Thursday, Jan. 25 in light of increased confusion over how many millions of dollars are involved in the city含羞草研究社檚 policing transition, now in its sixth year.

含羞草研究社淭o this day we have not heard whether our budget has been accepted yet,含羞草研究社� Serr said. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 hopeful that we can have this budget approved and move forward because any delays delays the transition moving forward, and those delays to the transition can be expensive for the city of Surrey.含羞草研究社�

Meantime, it含羞草研究社檚 costing Surrey taxpayers $8 million per month to keep the RCMP and SPS running simultaneously. A majority of Surrey council is opposed to the RCMP being replaced by the SPS. Serr said he hopes this submitted budget will give council 含羞草研究社渃onfidence in the numbers associated with moving this transition forward.

含羞草研究社淚t is my hope that this transparent budget process will give clarity, that it will given comfort to the residents, to the businesses of Surrey,含羞草研究社� he said.

Locke acknowledged that 含羞草研究社渢his is their wish-list for their budget, just like every other department within the city. Whether its parks or engineering or planning, they all present their budgets to the city to make a decision and that含羞草研究社檚 exactly what they did and it含羞草研究社檚 the same one, as I said, that they did in November so I am truly unclear why they felt it necessary to do a media availability for it. It surprised me, and it made no sense.

含羞草研究社淭hey have to do just the same as everybody else and we are operating two police departments right now and so they have to be cognizant of that as well. So there was nothing new.含羞草研究社�

For Serr含羞草研究社檚 part, he said he believes the public has a right to know what the SPS requires in 2024.

含羞草研究社淭his budget is dependent on the winding down of the Surrey RCMP to complement the growth of SPS. In order to contain costs, we need to work with our partners in the RCMP and the City of Surrey on eliminating the overlap in administrative costs that come with having two police agencies working within the city.含羞草研究社�

Locke maintains they含羞草研究社檙e 含羞草研究社渢rying to confuse the 2023 budget and the fact that they were so over budget in 2023 with the reality of the new budget, which is 2024. I think there was a little bit of deliberate confusion around the two budgeting processes.含羞草研究社�

Following a technical briefing for media, Serr held a presser to break down the details of the $142M provisional budget for 2024. He said the city含羞草研究社檚 total available funds for policing in 2024 is $337M.

Serr said if SPS 2024 provisional budget is approved by city council it would be constitute 42 per cent of funds available to Surrey for policing this year. This includes $30 million from the provincial government ($150 million over five years).

Under SPS operations, $102,761,570 is for salaries and expenditures and $16,758,285 is for 含羞草研究社渙ther operating expenditures,含羞草研究社� for a total $119,519,855 for total SPS operations. Equipment and capital expenditures are marked at $6,636,383 and $15,354,815 is for the Policing Transition Project Fund, for a grand total ask of $141,511,053 for 2024. In 2020, the City of Surrey earmarked $63.68 million as a one-time capital project fund for the transition, intended to support the SPS含羞草研究社檚 startup costs and build IT infrastructure required the SPS to replace the Surrey RCMP as the city含羞草研究社檚 police of jurisdiction, which Serr expects will occur within two and a half years.

Surrey Police Board administrator Mike Serr revealing SPS provisional budget details for 2024.

含羞草研究社� Tom Zytaruk (@tomzytaruk)

Seventy-two per cent of the provincial budget is for salaries and benefits. Twelve per cent is for other operating costs, with $5.99 million for IT maintenance and contractors, $1.2 million for fees to train recruits, and $2.25 million related to the vehicle fleet, with 42 already purchased and 25 more to be bought in 2024. The remaining 16 per cent is for other equipment including uniforms, firearms and ammo, and the policing transition project fund.

Serr said the SPS含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渁ssumed含羞草研究社� deployment for 2024 is to see 203 more SPS officers deployed, to a total of 408, with a hiring target of 180 sworn officers 含羞草研究社� 45 recruits and 135 experienced officers 含羞草研究社� to a strength of 526 by the end of 2024, 含羞草研究社渕aking up approximately 67 per cent of the city含羞草研究社檚 targeted police staffing number of 785 in 224.含羞草研究社� It also calls for 23 more civilian staffers to be hired, to a total of 81 by the end of the year.

Serr said he has until March 1 to make any additions or changes to the provisional budget and the City of Surrey has until May 15 under the Community Charter Act to approve and finalize its 2024 general budget. 含羞草研究社淚 cannot impose this budget on the city.含羞草研究社�

He added he has the ability, if council doesn含羞草研究社檛 approve the SPS含羞草研究社檚 provisional budget, to ask the director of police service 含羞草研究社渇or that to be adjudicated,含羞草研究社� but he has to wait until the city provides its response. 含羞草研究社淚 am hoping we can resolve this between the board and the city, and work together. But I do have that opportunity in the Spring.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淚 can含羞草研究社檛 ever say it含羞草研究社檚 foregone conclusion,含羞草研究社� Serr said. 含羞草研究社淚t was made law that the SPS transition is to move forward, that SPS is to be the police of jurisdiction. I have full confidence in these numbers.含羞草研究社�

Coun. Linda Annis says the SPS budget ask should be approved.

含羞草研究社淢ayor Locke has had the budget since November and has not made an effort to deal with it, so making the budget public gives our community the numbers that taxpayers need to better understand the transition process that is underway,含羞草研究社� Annis said Thursday. 含羞草研究社淭he budget presented by the SPS makes sense and fits within the overall policing envelope we have for our city. Running two police departments costs our taxpayers time and money, and we need to get on with this transition which the province has made law. The SPS is becoming the police department here in Surrey, so let含羞草研究社檚 get on with it and build the very best police service.含羞草研究社�

Asked what he含羞草研究社檒l do if Surrey council doesn含羞草研究社檛 capitulate, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth on Thursday told reporters 含羞草研究社淚 personally don含羞草研究社檛 get involved. There are legislative procedures and protocols that are in place that are set in law and policy as to how budgetary issues around policing are in fact dealt with. So for example there含羞草研究社檚 Section 27 of the Police Act and if there含羞草研究社檚 a dispute in the budget that can be referred to the director of police services, has authority to make a decision based on based on the submissions received by, you know, the city as well as the police.含羞草研究社�

Farnworth said the SPS provisional budget for 2024 含羞草研究社渃an proceed in a way that doesn含羞草研究社檛 impact the taxpayers of Surrey, which has been something that the mayor has been concerned about.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淭his idea that there needs to be a tax increase because of the transition, the budget shows the path forward in a way that is responsible, respectful of Surrey含羞草研究社檚 budgeting 含羞草研究社� their three-year fiscal plan as it relates to policing 含羞草研究社� and that there含羞草研究社檚 not a need for more tax increases which the mayor has been talking about.含羞草研究社�

In December the city launched a $500,000 PR campaign against the 含羞草研究社淣DP police transition含羞草研究社� that includes social media posts, a direct-mail householder, and electronic billboard displays that, under the heading 含羞草研究社淣DP police transition WILL COST YOU MORE,含羞草研究社� claims 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.

Meantime, Locke expects in February a court date will be set for the City of Surrey含羞草研究社檚 petition seeking a judicial review of Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth含羞草研究社檚 decree the Surrey Police Service will police the city. Locke announced in November that the city is challenging in B.C. Supreme Court the 含羞草研究社榗onstitutionality含羞草研究社� of the provincial government含羞草研究社檚 decision to replace the Surrey RCMP with the Surrey Police Service.

含羞草研究社淚 find it disappointing that both Mr. Serr and the solicitor general are not being respectful of the courts,含羞草研究社� Locke said. 含羞草研究社淭hey know that this issue is before the courts and I think it含羞草研究社檚 disappointing that they aren含羞草研究社檛 respecting that process. We don含羞草研究社檛 have a date yet, but like all things legal we have a date to make a date. So we do have that, and I believe it含羞草研究社檚 in the beginning of February. So the process is underway, they know that full well, and I would just ask that they respect the courts and respect the process.含羞草研究社�