The City of Surrey’s draft operating and capital budget for 2023-2027 is now publicly available.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said at a news conference late Saturday afternoon (February 18) that the largest tax hike of 9.5 per cent is intended to cover costs associated with the police change.
“The 9.5 percent tax hike is all due to the transition,” Locke said.
She added that the 9.5 percent increase will last for the next three years.
A city press release issued on Saturday said: “While maintaining the RCMP is estimated to cost $235 million less than the Surrey Police Service (SPS) over five years, a deficit of $116.6 million remains, created by the transition process. ”
Locke acknowledged that the tax hike is significant.
“There’s no doubt about it, but we have to do it. We have to make sure our budget is being pushed forward,” Locke said.
Locke said the City of Surrey typically gives residents two weeks’ notice of their budget.
“This is a complicated budget, it’s certainly a topical budget. So we wanted to make sure our residents or taxpayers had as much information as possible to process the information,” Locke said.
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The council decided to base this budget on whether the RCMP remains the responsible police force in Surrey.
“If we went with the Surrey Police Service, that number would be significantly higher,” Locke said.
Locke said she didn’t want children’s and family programs to be impacted by the proposed budget.
“We wanted to see all planned facilities and promises for children and youth in our city moving forward.”
Media Release: The City of Surrey’s 2023-2027 general operating and capital budgets are now publicly available. More than half of the property tax increases for 2023 are to fund the costs associated with the police crossing.
— City of Surrey (@CityofSurrey) February 18, 2023
City Hall is yet to be heard by Minister for Public Safety and Provincial Attorney General Mike Farnworth on his decision on whether Surrey will retain the RCMP as the responsible police agency or proceed with the transition to the Surrey Police Service.
The property tax increases proposed in the 2023 general operating budget are as follows:
• Raise the general property tax by 9.5 percent to fund the police deficit (approximately $219 for an average single-family home).
• A 7.0 percent general property tax increase (approximately $161 for an average single-family home) to fund:
•General inflationary pressures
•Recruitment of an additional 25 police officers, 20 firefighters and 10 bylaw officers for 2023
•City Wide Operations (non-public safety)
•1.0% road and traffic tax. (about $23 for the average single family home).
The full draft budget can be found at surrey.ca
The Finance Committee will hold a public meeting on March 6 at 2 p.m. to review the 2023 budget. The meeting is public and written comments can be submitted.
-With files by Tom Zytaruk
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