Editor:
Whether you are for or against the Surrey policing transition, the issue has not been represented to the residents properly. My personal belief is that a proper evaluation of the pros and cons of the issue does not support the case for a change.
In the Surrey Fall Election of 2018 Doug McCallum received 45,484 votes, Tom Gill received 28,473 votes and Bruce Hayne received 27,951 votes.
Doug McCallum won and I can accept that. I do not want to change the system. What I cannot accept, looking at the results, is that the winner assumes that he was elected on his platform and that he has a blank cheque to proceed. The biggest issues were policing and SkyTrain.
A proper process would have let the Surrey voters vote by referendum on the policing issue. I believe that was the position of the other two candidates.
A proper process is essential because of the financial liability to the taxpayer for the policing issue. The SkyTrain issue was much broader and is a regional issue.
It appears that the mayor is so intent in replacing the RCMP (it seems at any cost – we have no numbers) that he had banned some of the public attending council meetings, prevented voters from have signs on their lawns and now there is the issue of mischief charges against the mayor.
Any reasonable person would stand back and look at this picture and see that this is politics at its absolute worst. How embarrassing for Surrey.
Of course, there are other issues, including the cancellation of the Harmony housing project, which would have helped residents with disabilities and was supported by a large percentage of the South Surrey residents.
It is timely to remind Surrey voters that this fall we will have another election. All of us need to pay attention to who will be our representatives for the next four years. Local elections are notorious for poor turnouts. However, local elections can have serious ramifications on our lives. I urge all fellow Surrey residents to pay attention to the candidates and make your decision from an informed position.
Please vote.
Ross Forman, Surrey