Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is taking it on the chin from political rivals who say the city香蕉视频直播檚 $500,000 PR campaign against the Surrey Police Service 香蕉视频直播� aka 香蕉视频直播淣DP police transition香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淣DP police transition WILL COST YOU MORE,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淭he expenditure of something this size should be coming before council in an open council meeting,香蕉视频直播� Coun. Linda Annis said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not good use of taxpayers香蕉视频直播� money, particularly when the information to me feels like misinformation because it香蕉视频直播檚 not based on anything that香蕉视频直播檚 come before council.香蕉视频直播�

Locke said there香蕉视频直播檚 three, maybe four such billboards. Asked if it was voted on in closed council, she replied she 香蕉视频直播渃an香蕉视频直播檛 speak to that香蕉视频直播� but added that the city manager has 香蕉视频直播渢he ability to make decisions, discretionary spending. I don香蕉视频直播檛 think this is any surprise to anybody that we have to do an information campaign, there香蕉视频直播檚 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.香蕉视频直播�

Locke added the city through this is 香蕉视频直播渄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.香蕉视频直播�

As for Annis香蕉视频直播檚 comment about not seeing this information come before council, Locke said 香蕉视频直播淚 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.

香蕉视频直播淐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.香蕉视频直播�

Meantime, former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum, who Locke defeated in the last civic election, issued a statement Wednesday condemning Locke using tax money for 香蕉视频直播減artisan political ads.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淭hese claims are not just misleading, they香蕉视频直播檙e patently false,香蕉视频直播� he charged. 香蕉视频直播淭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.香蕉视频直播�

The campaign has its supporters.

香蕉视频直播淚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,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渙bstructionist香蕉视频直播� against the provincial government香蕉视频直播檚 efforts to advance the city香蕉视频直播檚 policing transition from the Surrey RCMP to SPS. To that, Locke replied, 香蕉视频直播淚 think the challenge that Mr. Farnworth has is he香蕉视频直播檚 expecting absolute obedience by cities, and that is patently unfair and we香蕉视频直播檙e going to make sure that due diligence is done for the taxpayer, period.香蕉视频直播�

The city filed a challenge to the 香蕉视频直播榗onstitutionality香蕉视频直播� of the provincial government香蕉视频直播檚 decision to replace the Surrey RCMP with the Surrey Police Service in B.C. Supreme Court in November.

香蕉视频直播淪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,香蕉视频直播� Locke said Wednesday.