Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is taking it on the chin from political rivals who say the city91裸聊视频檚 $500,000 PR campaign against the Surrey Police Service 91裸聊视频� aka 91裸聊视频淣DP police transition91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频淣DP police transition WILL COST YOU MORE,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淭he expenditure of something this size should be coming before council in an open council meeting,91裸聊视频� Coun. Linda Annis said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not good use of taxpayers91裸聊视频� money, particularly when the information to me feels like misinformation because it91裸聊视频檚 not based on anything that91裸聊视频檚 come before council.91裸聊视频�

Locke said there91裸聊视频檚 three, maybe four such billboards. Asked if it was voted on in closed council, she replied she 91裸聊视频渃an91裸聊视频檛 speak to that91裸聊视频� but added that the city manager has 91裸聊视频渢he ability to make decisions, discretionary spending. I don91裸聊视频檛 think this is any surprise to anybody that we have to do an information campaign, there91裸聊视频檚 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.91裸聊视频�

Locke added the city through this is 91裸聊视频渄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.91裸聊视频�

As for Annis91裸聊视频檚 comment about not seeing this information come before council, Locke said 91裸聊视频淚 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.

91裸聊视频淐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.91裸聊视频�

Meantime, former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum, who Locke defeated in the last civic election, issued a statement Wednesday condemning Locke using tax money for 91裸聊视频減artisan political ads.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭hese claims are not just misleading, they91裸聊视频檙e patently false,91裸聊视频� he charged. 91裸聊视频淭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.91裸聊视频�

The campaign has its supporters.

91裸聊视频淚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,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频渙bstructionist91裸聊视频� against the provincial government91裸聊视频檚 efforts to advance the city91裸聊视频檚 policing transition from the Surrey RCMP to SPS. To that, Locke replied, 91裸聊视频淚 think the challenge that Mr. Farnworth has is he91裸聊视频檚 expecting absolute obedience by cities, and that is patently unfair and we91裸聊视频檙e going to make sure that due diligence is done for the taxpayer, period.91裸聊视频�

The city filed a challenge to the 91裸聊视频榗onstitutionality91裸聊视频� of the provincial government91裸聊视频檚 decision to replace the Surrey RCMP with the Surrey Police Service in B.C. Supreme Court in November.

91裸聊视频淪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,91裸聊视频� Locke said Wednesday.