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.

B次元官网网址淭here is no more money,B次元官网网址� Eby told reporters in Victoria on Monday. B次元官网网址淭here is no more money. There is $150 million on the table Surrey hasnB次元官网网址檛 taken us up on. They have a surplus in their policing budget, they have a surplus overall, there is no more money.

B次元官网网址淗aving that shadow-boxing discussion about money on line items that we donB次元官网网址檛 have awareness of, donB次元官网网址檛 know what the mayorB次元官网网址檚 talking about when she says there is more costs, itB次元官网网址檚 just impossible.B次元官网网址�

But Mayor Brenda Locke maintains those B次元官网网址渓ine itemsB次元官网网址� can be found in the cityB次元官网网址檚 Oct. 13 petition to the Supreme Court of British Columbia seeking a judicial review of Public Safety Minister Mike FarnworthB次元官网网址檚 July 19 order for the city to continue with the transition to the SPS, contrary to the wishes of councilB次元官网网址檚 majority.

B次元官网网址淗e needs to look at the petition, itB次元官网网址檚 outlined in the petition,B次元官网网址� Locke told the Now-Leader on Tuesday. B次元官网网址淢aybe he hasnB次元官网网址檛 had a chance to look at it yet.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 find it pretty disrespectful on behalf of both the premier and his solicitor general that they donB次元官网网址檛 lift a phone and call, they would rather do this through the media,B次元官网网址� Locke said, B次元官网网址渁nd I donB次元官网网址檛 comply to that.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 think they donB次元官网网址檛 know what to do and they are trying to pressure me into withdrawing the petition,B次元官网网址� Locke said. B次元官网网址淭hey want to have a simple solution to a very, very complicated situation and theyB次元官网网址檙e having a hard time proving their case. I have asked them many times to tell me why theyB次元官网网址檙e doing this.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got 72 years of RCMP doing a great job for the City of Surrey, weB次元官网网址檝e got a crime severity index that has declined for over a decade and all of a sudden now weB次元官网网址檙e saying theyB次元官网网址檙e no longer keeping Surrey safe? I beg to differ.B次元官网网址�

The court petition claims the promised $150 million B次元官网网址� which the city has not yet received B次元官网网址� would leave Surrey with a shortfall of $85.4 million from fiscal years 2023 to 2027 B次元官网网址渆xclusive of anticipated capital costs.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淟et me be very clear again B次元官网网址� 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,B次元官网网址� she said during councilB次元官网网址檚 regular meeting on Oct. 16.

The following day, Eby told reporters that the provincial government B次元官网网址渉as committed to Surrey that we will support them, we understand their additional costs here, we will be working with that and IB次元官网网址檓 happy to have those discussions with Surrey.B次元官网网址�

Meantime, Locke sent a letter out to fellow mayors on Oct. 20 stating SurreyB次元官网网址檚 case, charging the provincial government with B次元官网网址渃reating an environment for policing instability in the regionB次元官网网址� and that itB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渢rying to take power over policing away from local governments.B次元官网网址�

She added in her letter she will be seeking B次元官网网址渉undreds of millions more from the Province to protect Surrey taxpayersB次元官网网址� if it has the ability through B次元官网网址渦nprecedented legislationB次元官网网址� to force the transition ahead.

If Surrey doesnB次元官网网址檛 maintain the RCMP as its police of jurisdiction, she told the mayors, SurreyB次元官网网址檚 share of division adminstrative costs B次元官网网址� $32 million per year B次元官网网址� will B次元官网网址渘eed to be absorbed by all other municipalities across B.C. that continue to have RCMP provide policing services.B次元官网网址�

Locke told the Now-Leader she sent the letter B次元官网网址渓etting them know that this is not just something thatB次元官网网址檚 going to impact Surrey, that if youB次元官网网址檙e an RCMP jurisdiction youB次元官网网址檙e going to get hit with significant costs.B次元官网网址�