It含羞草研究社檚 not every day you see a civic slate calling for legislation enabling the recall of council members but that含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 calling on B.C. Minister of Municipal Affairs Anne Kang to introduce such legislation, 含羞草研究社渋nspired by Alberta含羞草研究社檚 model.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e seen the need for such legislation in the face of governance challenges in Surrey and other jurisdictions,含羞草研究社� SSC Coun. Doug Elford stated in the press release.
含羞草研究社淩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.含羞草研究社�
The SSC suggests a recall threshold of 50 per cent of the total votes cast for an official. 含羞草研究社淭his isn含羞草研究社檛 just about Surrey,含羞草研究社� Coun. Mandeep Nagra stated in the press release. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 about ensuring all municipal leaders in B.C. are accountable to their constituents.含羞草研究社�
Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum, who was defeated by Locke in the 2022 civic election, is also quoted in the press release.
含羞草研究社淢ayor Locke含羞草研究社檚 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,含羞草研究社� McCallum said.
Locke dismissed this as 含羞草研究社渏ust a distraction by them. I think the real issue is they don含羞草研究社檛 like our position on the police transition.
含羞草研究社淐ertainly lots and lots of people talked about it (a recall mechanism) under McCallum含羞草研究社檚 administration,含羞草研究社� she recalled. 含羞草研究社淭o me this is just another one of their silly little distractions.含羞草研究社�
Surrey Connect Coun. Harry Bains noted there含羞草研究社檚 a lot of arguments for and against recall legislation. 含羞草研究社淥ne of the arguments against it is always that it含羞草研究社檚 going to be weaponized and I feel that含羞草研究社檚 what含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�
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. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 a huge concern when you含羞草研究社檙e an elected official and your sole duty is to take care of the city and represent the city that you含羞草研究社檙e elected in.含羞草研究社�
Coun. Linda Annis, of Surrey First, said she含羞草研究社檚 surprised there isn含羞草研究社檛 already recall legislation for civic elected officials other than if they are criminally convicted. 含羞草研究社淭o me, it should be aligned with what we do provincially and federally,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淵ou know, if we含羞草研究社檙e not doing our job and the people aren含羞草研究社檛 happy there should be a process in place. They shouldn含羞草研究社檛 have to wait four years to voice their opinion. I think it含羞草研究社檚 just good practice for any elected official anywhere 含羞草研究社� we need to be held accountable.含羞草研究社�
Coun. Gordon Hepner, of Surrey Connect, said he含羞草研究社檚 not against legislation for recall but said when it含羞草研究社檚 used to try to change the political direction of a politician through legislation, 含羞草研究社渢hat含羞草研究社檚 not democracy含羞草研究社hat含羞草研究社檚 just a weapon in order to get the way thatthey see fit, not that the public saw during the time at the ballot box.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 politicking and weaponizing legislation,含羞草研究社� Hepner added. 含羞草研究社淲e are a democracy. I am sure that there are many people inSurrey that thought that would have been handy in McCallum含羞草研究社檚 time in office.含羞草研究社� He added it might have 含羞草研究社渋n fact come in handywith all the chaos around McCallum.含羞草研究社�
Locke echoed that, charging that the SSC含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渕ismanagement, their lack of financial accountability,含羞草研究社� is the reason why the city isin the position it is today 含羞草研究社渁nd they含羞草研究社檙e saying that somehow we should be the one to take the hit for their mismanagement fromthe beginning. It含羞草研究社檚 truly the pot calling the kettle black, I can含羞草研究社檛 think of a truer description of this.
含羞草研究社淭his is pretty rich, pretty rich on their part.含羞草研究社�
Coun. Rob Stutt, also of Surrey Connect, doesn含羞草研究社檛 think the SSC含羞草研究社檚 request to Kang meets the criteria of a public interest in this case. 含羞草研究社淚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含羞草研究社檙e in the situation that we含羞草研究社檙e in is because of the Safe Surrey Coalition含羞草研究社檚 poor decision-making.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚 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,含羞草研究社� Stutt said. 含羞草研究社淚f there was provision for recall of municipal officials there含羞草研究社檚 a strong likelihood that mayor McCallum would not have finished his term. I含羞草研究社檓 thinking careful what you wish for, because if that legislation had含羞草研究社檝e been in effect as long as it has been for the other levels of government, he probably wouldn含羞草研究社檛 have survived his term.含羞草研究社�
