Surrey might reduce property tax hike, but only if RCMP remains, mayor says

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Surrey city council is considering a reduction of a proposed whopping property tax rate hike by using recently announced funding from the provincial government.

At a finance committee meeting on Monday, council voted to send a five-year budget proposal back to staff to revise a proposed tax hike from 17.5 per cent down to no more than 12.5 per cent.

The tax-hike reduction would be made possible by $89.9 million coming to Surrey as part of the B.C. government’s fund designed to help municipalities with infrastructure.

“Since the proposed budget was made public two weeks ago, the city has secured nearly $90 million from the province of British Columbia,” said Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke. “As a result, we are now in a position to revise the budget and bring the overall property-tax rate down.”

Locke said the provincial cash will be used for capital improvements such as a third sheet of ice at the Cloverdale rink, but could also free up funds to drop the policing surcharge from 9.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent.

Locke claimed an overall 12.5-per-cent property tax increase would keep Surrey “in the bottom third of property taxes in the Metro region.”

The drop in the proposed 2023 budget is predicated on the assumption that the Surrey Police Service transition will be halted and the RCMP would remain the police of jurisdiction in the city, said Locke.

“Should the police transition be allowed to continue, the extra costs would not be covered in the proposed 2023 budget,” she said.

Municipal Affairs Minister Anne Kang told Postmedia on Tuesday that Surrey can use the funds at their discretion, though the province does have terms of reference and recommendations on how to spend it.

“Municipalities are autonomous in using the funds as they wish, because that is their prerogative,” said Kang. “And by using it towards things like a swimming pool or a splash pad or accessible sidewalks, they will be able to alleviate their (budget) pressures, and they will be able to have more space in setting their taxes lower.”

Premier David Eby was asked during an unrelated press conference in Vancouver to weigh in on the way Surrey plans to use the infrastructure cash.

“We are putting the trust in local governments to use this money to support … growth in their community, to make their communities more livable,” said Eby.

He said the expectation is the funds will go in a separate account so “the public can see where the money is being spent.”

“I haven’t seen Surrey’s proposals for how they’re going to be spending money in the community,” he said. “I understand they’re working on their budget, and they will be accountable to the voters of Surrey.”

As for the assertion the money will only go to reduce the tax hike if the city retains the RCMP, Eby said the only role the province has is to make sure Surrey’s citizens are well served.

“The province’s role in this issue is very straightforward,” said Eby. “The solicitor general (Mike Farnworth) is reviewing the city of Surrey’s plan. First, they wanted to move to the Surrey Police department. Now they want to move back to the Surrey RCMP.

“The question is always the same: If someone picks up the phone and dials 911, they’re facing a violent attack or break-in or whatever, will police officers show up?

“It doesn’t matter what the badges are — RCMP, Surrey PD — will a police officer show up to that 911 call? If the answer is yes, then it’s a safe plan. The solicitor general can sign off on it.”

A revised budget proposal will be presented to Surrey council at the next regular meeting on April 6.

Surrey’s finance department said Tuesday the money will all go to capital projects, so it would only indirectly free up cash to offset the tax hike for the cost of policing.

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