It91裸聊视频檚 not every day you see a civic slate calling for legislation enabling the recall of council members but that91裸聊视频檚 what the Safe Surrey Coalition is doing.

Some political rivals are questioning the motive.

The SSC issued a press release Wednesday morning to announce it91裸聊视频檚 calling on B.C. Minister of Municipal Affairs Anne Kang to introduce such legislation, 91裸聊视频渋nspired by Alberta91裸聊视频檚 model.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e seen the need for such legislation in the face of governance challenges in Surrey and other jurisdictions,91裸聊视频� SSC Coun. Doug Elford stated in the press release.

91裸聊视频淩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.91裸聊视频�

The SSC suggests a recall threshold of 50 per cent of the total votes cast for an official. 91裸聊视频淭his isn91裸聊视频檛 just about Surrey,91裸聊视频� Coun. Mandeep Nagra stated in the press release. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 about ensuring all municipal leaders in B.C. are accountable to their constituents.91裸聊视频�

Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum, who was defeated by Locke in the 2022 civic election, is also quoted in the press release.

91裸聊视频淢ayor Locke91裸聊视频檚 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,91裸聊视频� McCallum said.

Locke dismissed this as 91裸聊视频渏ust a distraction by them. I think the real issue is they don91裸聊视频檛 like our position on the police transition.

91裸聊视频淐ertainly lots and lots of people talked about it (a recall mechanism) under McCallum91裸聊视频檚 administration,91裸聊视频� she recalled. 91裸聊视频淭o me this is just another one of their silly little distractions.91裸聊视频�

Surrey Connect Coun. Harry Bains noted there91裸聊视频檚 a lot of arguments for and against recall legislation. 91裸聊视频淥ne of the arguments against it is always that it91裸聊视频檚 going to be weaponized and I feel that91裸聊视频檚 what91裸聊视频檚 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.91裸聊视频�

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. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 a huge concern when you91裸聊视频檙e an elected official and your sole duty is to take care of the city and represent the city that you91裸聊视频檙e elected in.91裸聊视频�

Coun. Linda Annis, of Surrey First, said she91裸聊视频檚 surprised there isn91裸聊视频檛 already recall legislation for civic elected officials other than if they are criminally convicted. 91裸聊视频淭o me, it should be aligned with what we do provincially and federally,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淵ou know, if we91裸聊视频檙e not doing our job and the people aren91裸聊视频檛 happy there should be a process in place. They shouldn91裸聊视频檛 have to wait four years to voice their opinion. I think it91裸聊视频檚 just good practice for any elected official anywhere 91裸聊视频� we need to be held accountable.91裸聊视频�

Coun. Gordon Hepner, of Surrey Connect, said he91裸聊视频檚 not against legislation for recall but said when it91裸聊视频檚 used to try to change the political direction of a politician through legislation, 91裸聊视频渢hat91裸聊视频檚 not democracy91裸聊视频�that91裸聊视频檚 just a weapon in order to get the way thatthey see fit, not that the public saw during the time at the ballot box.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 politicking and weaponizing legislation,91裸聊视频� Hepner added. 91裸聊视频淲e are a democracy. I am sure that there are many people inSurrey that thought that would have been handy in McCallum91裸聊视频檚 time in office.91裸聊视频� He added it might have 91裸聊视频渋n fact come in handywith all the chaos around McCallum.91裸聊视频�

Locke echoed that, charging that the SSC91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渕ismanagement, their lack of financial accountability,91裸聊视频� is the reason why the city isin the position it is today 91裸聊视频渁nd they91裸聊视频檙e saying that somehow we should be the one to take the hit for their mismanagement fromthe beginning. It91裸聊视频檚 truly the pot calling the kettle black, I can91裸聊视频檛 think of a truer description of this.

91裸聊视频淭his is pretty rich, pretty rich on their part.91裸聊视频�

Coun. Rob Stutt, also of Surrey Connect, doesn91裸聊视频檛 think the SSC91裸聊视频檚 request to Kang meets the criteria of a public interest in this case. 91裸聊视频淚n this particular case I guess we have to get back to the elephant in the room. In this particular case the reason that we91裸聊视频檙e in the situation that we91裸聊视频檙e in is because of the Safe Surrey Coalition91裸聊视频檚 poor decision-making.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 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,91裸聊视频� Stutt said. 91裸聊视频淚f there was provision for recall of municipal officials there91裸聊视频檚 a strong likelihood that mayor McCallum would not have finished his term. I91裸聊视频檓 thinking careful what you wish for, because if that legislation had91裸聊视频檝e been in effect as long as it has been for the other levels of government, he probably wouldn91裸聊视频檛 have survived his term.91裸聊视频�