Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is taking it on the chin from political rivals who say the cityB次元官网网址檚 $500,000 PR campaign against the Surrey Police Service B次元官网网址� aka B次元官网网址淣DP police transitionB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� is expensive political propaganda being funded by already overburdened taxpayers.

The campaign includes social media posts, a direct-mail householder, and electronic billboard displays that, under the heading B次元官网网址淣DP police transition WILL COST YOU MORE,B次元官网网址� claim 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.

B次元官网网址淭he expenditure of something this size should be coming before council in an open council meeting,B次元官网网址� Coun. Linda Annis said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not good use of taxpayersB次元官网网址� money, particularly when the information to me feels like misinformation because itB次元官网网址檚 not based on anything thatB次元官网网址檚 come before council.B次元官网网址�

Locke said thereB次元官网网址檚 three, maybe four such billboards. Asked if it was voted on in closed council, she replied she B次元官网网址渃anB次元官网网址檛 speak to thatB次元官网网址� but added that the city manager has B次元官网网址渢he ability to make decisions, discretionary spending. I donB次元官网网址檛 think this is any surprise to anybody that we have to do an information campaign, thereB次元官网网址檚 no doubt about it. The public needs to be educated, the public needs to know. They want to know what is the cost of this very unprecedented decision by the solicitor general.B次元官网网址�

Locke added the city through this is B次元官网网址渄oing the work to be transparent, the very work that should have been done at the beginning. This was all done behind closed doors and never did see the light of day.B次元官网网址�

As for AnnisB次元官网网址檚 comment about not seeing this information come before council, Locke said B次元官网网址淚 think she better go check her notes. I mean, we absolutely know that the $464 million that has come to us, she absolutely knows that.

B次元官网网址淐ouncillor Annis is the one that has been saying it constantly, that there needs to be the numbers, that the numbers need to be shared with the public, that they had to be exposed and so this is a way of doing it and we must do it, the taxpayer needs to know.B次元官网网址�

Meantime, former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum, who Locke defeated in the last civic election, issued a statement Wednesday condemning Locke using tax money for B次元官网网址減artisan political ads.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭hese claims are not just misleading, theyB次元官网网址檙e patently false,B次元官网网址� he charged. B次元官网网址淭he funding for schools, health, and transit falls under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, not the City of Surrey. This blatant spread of misinformation by Mayor Locke shows a disturbing pattern of deceit, consistent with her previous misinformation about the transition costs and misleading the public and 27 metro Vancouver mayors.B次元官网网址�

The campaign has its supporters.

B次元官网网址淚t needs to be published to the population in Surrey, educating them on the cost of transitioning to a very expensive and unaffordable and wanted Transition for our own police force,B次元官网网址� resident Linda Ypenburg wrote in an email to the Now-Leader.

Last month Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth accused the City of Surrey of being B次元官网网址渙bstructionistB次元官网网址� against the provincial governmentB次元官网网址檚 efforts to advance the cityB次元官网网址檚 policing transition from the Surrey RCMP to SPS. To that, Locke replied, B次元官网网址淚 think the challenge that Mr. Farnworth has is heB次元官网网址檚 expecting absolute obedience by cities, and that is patently unfair and weB次元官网网址檙e going to make sure that due diligence is done for the taxpayer, period.B次元官网网址�

The city filed a challenge to the B次元官网网址榗onstitutionalityB次元官网网址� of the provincial governmentB次元官网网址檚 decision to replace the Surrey RCMP with the Surrey Police Service in B.C. Supreme Court in November.

B次元官网网址淪hould the courts make the decision to stay on track with the transition the public are going to be absolutely hit with enormous taxes and these are going to be taxes imposed on them by the NDP and so we need to make sure the public know the cost,B次元官网网址� Locke said Wednesday.