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