ItB次元官网网址檚 not every day you see a civic slate calling for legislation enabling the recall of council members but thatB次元官网网址檚 what the Safe Surrey Coalition is doing.
Some political rivals are questioning the motive.
The SSC issued a press release Wednesday morning to announce itB次元官网网址檚 calling on B.C. Minister of Municipal Affairs Anne Kang to introduce such legislation, B次元官网网址渋nspired by AlbertaB次元官网网址檚 model.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e seen the need for such legislation in the face of governance challenges in Surrey and other jurisdictions,B次元官网网址� SSC Coun. Doug Elford stated in the press release.
B次元官网网址淩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.B次元官网网址�
The SSC suggests a recall threshold of 50 per cent of the total votes cast for an official. B次元官网网址淭his isnB次元官网网址檛 just about Surrey,B次元官网网址� Coun. Mandeep Nagra stated in the press release. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about ensuring all municipal leaders in B.C. are accountable to their constituents.B次元官网网址�
Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum, who was defeated by Locke in the 2022 civic election, is also quoted in the press release.
B次元官网网址淢ayor LockeB次元官网网址檚 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,B次元官网网址� McCallum said.
Locke dismissed this as B次元官网网址渏ust a distraction by them. I think the real issue is they donB次元官网网址檛 like our position on the police transition.
B次元官网网址淐ertainly lots and lots of people talked about it (a recall mechanism) under McCallumB次元官网网址檚 administration,B次元官网网址� she recalled. B次元官网网址淭o me this is just another one of their silly little distractions.B次元官网网址�
Surrey Connect Coun. Harry Bains noted thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of arguments for and against recall legislation. B次元官网网址淥ne of the arguments against it is always that itB次元官网网址檚 going to be weaponized and I feel thatB次元官网网址檚 whatB次元官网网址檚 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.B次元官网网址�
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. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a huge concern when youB次元官网网址檙e an elected official and your sole duty is to take care of the city and represent the city that youB次元官网网址檙e elected in.B次元官网网址�
Coun. Linda Annis, of Surrey First, said sheB次元官网网址檚 surprised there isnB次元官网网址檛 already recall legislation for civic elected officials other than if they are criminally convicted. B次元官网网址淭o me, it should be aligned with what we do provincially and federally,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淵ou know, if weB次元官网网址檙e not doing our job and the people arenB次元官网网址檛 happy there should be a process in place. They shouldnB次元官网网址檛 have to wait four years to voice their opinion. I think itB次元官网网址檚 just good practice for any elected official anywhere B次元官网网址� we need to be held accountable.B次元官网网址�
Coun. Gordon Hepner, of Surrey Connect, said heB次元官网网址檚 not against legislation for recall but said when itB次元官网网址檚 used to try to change the political direction of a politician through legislation, B次元官网网址渢hatB次元官网网址檚 not democracyB次元官网网址hatB次元官网网址檚 just a weapon in order to get the way thatthey see fit, not that the public saw during the time at the ballot box.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 politicking and weaponizing legislation,B次元官网网址� Hepner added. B次元官网网址淲e are a democracy. I am sure that there are many people inSurrey that thought that would have been handy in McCallumB次元官网网址檚 time in office.B次元官网网址� He added it might have B次元官网网址渋n fact come in handywith all the chaos around McCallum.B次元官网网址�
Locke echoed that, charging that the SSCB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渕ismanagement, their lack of financial accountability,B次元官网网址� is the reason why the city isin the position it is today B次元官网网址渁nd theyB次元官网网址檙e saying that somehow we should be the one to take the hit for their mismanagement fromthe beginning. ItB次元官网网址檚 truly the pot calling the kettle black, I canB次元官网网址檛 think of a truer description of this.
B次元官网网址淭his is pretty rich, pretty rich on their part.B次元官网网址�
Coun. Rob Stutt, also of Surrey Connect, doesnB次元官网网址檛 think the SSCB次元官网网址檚 request to Kang meets the criteria of a public interest in this case. B次元官网网址淚n this particular case I guess we have to get back to the elephant in the room. In this particular case the reason that weB次元官网网址檙e in the situation that weB次元官网网址檙e in is because of the Safe Surrey CoalitionB次元官网网址檚 poor decision-making.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 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,B次元官网网址� Stutt said. B次元官网网址淚f there was provision for recall of municipal officials thereB次元官网网址檚 a strong likelihood that mayor McCallum would not have finished his term. IB次元官网网址檓 thinking careful what you wish for, because if that legislation hadB次元官网网址檝e been in effect as long as it has been for the other levels of government, he probably wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have survived his term.B次元官网网址�
