Premier David Eby said there will be no more money for the City of Surrey beyond $150 million that was promised by Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth this past summer to help the city shoulder the cost of transitioning to the Surrey Police Service from the Surrey RCMP.

sa国际传媒淭here is no more money,sa国际传媒� Eby told reporters in Victoria on Monday. sa国际传媒淭here is no more money. There is $150 million on the table Surrey hasnsa国际传媒檛 taken us up on. They have a surplus in their policing budget, they have a surplus overall, there is no more money.

sa国际传媒淗aving that shadow-boxing discussion about money on line items that we donsa国际传媒檛 have awareness of, donsa国际传媒檛 know what the mayorsa国际传媒檚 talking about when she says there is more costs, itsa国际传媒檚 just impossible.sa国际传媒�

But Mayor Brenda Locke maintains those sa国际传媒渓ine itemssa国际传媒� can be found in the citysa国际传媒檚 Oct. 13 petition to the Supreme Court of British Columbia seeking a judicial review of Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworthsa国际传媒檚 July 19 order for the city to continue with the transition to the SPS, contrary to the wishes of councilsa国际传媒檚 majority.

sa国际传媒淗e needs to look at the petition, itsa国际传媒檚 outlined in the petition,sa国际传媒� Locke told the Now-Leader on Tuesday. sa国际传媒淢aybe he hasnsa国际传媒檛 had a chance to look at it yet.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淚 find it pretty disrespectful on behalf of both the premier and his solicitor general that they donsa国际传媒檛 lift a phone and call, they would rather do this through the media,sa国际传媒� Locke said, sa国际传媒渁nd I donsa国际传媒檛 comply to that.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淚 think they donsa国际传媒檛 know what to do and they are trying to pressure me into withdrawing the petition,sa国际传媒� Locke said. sa国际传媒淭hey want to have a simple solution to a very, very complicated situation and theysa国际传媒檙e having a hard time proving their case. I have asked them many times to tell me why theysa国际传媒檙e doing this.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檝e got 72 years of RCMP doing a great job for the City of Surrey, wesa国际传媒檝e got a crime severity index that has declined for over a decade and all of a sudden now wesa国际传媒檙e saying theysa国际传媒檙e no longer keeping Surrey safe? I beg to differ.sa国际传媒�

The court petition claims the promised $150 million sa国际传媒� which the city has not yet received sa国际传媒� would leave Surrey with a shortfall of $85.4 million from fiscal years 2023 to 2027 sa国际传媒渆xclusive of anticipated capital costs.sa国际传媒�

Locke maintains the $150 million being offered toward the cost of the transition is not nearly enough to avoid massive tax increases for Surrey residents and would leave a funding shortfall of more than $314 million. The city estimates that, excluding costs of the transition, the SPS will annually cost $31.9 million more than keeping the RCMP and that dissolving the SPS to retain the Surrey RCMP would save Surrey about $235.4 million over the next five years.

sa国际传媒淟et me be very clear again sa国际传媒� I will not sit on the sidelines and accept a provincial plan that will cost Surrey taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, lead to significant tax increases, and that will deliver no public safety benefit,sa国际传媒� she said during councilsa国际传媒檚 regular meeting on Oct. 16.

The following day, Eby told reporters that the provincial government sa国际传媒渉as committed to Surrey that we will support them, we understand their additional costs here, we will be working with that and Isa国际传媒檓 happy to have those discussions with Surrey.sa国际传媒�

Meantime, Locke sent a letter out to fellow mayors on Oct. 20 stating Surreysa国际传媒檚 case, charging the provincial government with sa国际传媒渃reating an environment for policing instability in the regionsa国际传媒� and that itsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒渢rying to take power over policing away from local governments.sa国际传媒�

She added in her letter she will be seeking sa国际传媒渉undreds of millions more from the Province to protect Surrey taxpayerssa国际传媒� if it has the ability through sa国际传媒渦nprecedented legislationsa国际传媒� to force the transition ahead.

If Surrey doesnsa国际传媒檛 maintain the RCMP as its police of jurisdiction, she told the mayors, Surreysa国际传媒檚 share of division adminstrative costs sa国际传媒� $32 million per year sa国际传媒� will sa国际传媒渘eed to be absorbed by all other municipalities across B.C. that continue to have RCMP provide policing services.sa国际传媒�

Locke told the Now-Leader she sent the letter sa国际传媒渓etting them know that this is not just something thatsa国际传媒檚 going to impact Surrey, that if yousa国际传媒檙e an RCMP jurisdiction yousa国际传媒檙e going to get hit with significant costs.sa国际传媒�