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Surrey business community grapples with police tax

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 05 Oct, 2023 01:22 PM
  • Surrey business community grapples with police tax

Business leaders in Surrey are pleading with the province to provide a clear plan as the city grapples with the next stage of implementing a new police force.

The Surrey Board of Trade has sent a letter to Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth saying the city needs a solid policing strategy with adequate wraparound support services and infrastructure as it juggles the costs of the outgoing R-C-M-P and incoming Surrey Police Service.

Board president Anita Huberman says it has been close to five years since the switch began and Phase 1 is still incomplete, with no plan for Phase 2.

She says it's still uncertain how the move to a municipal police force will impact business taxation in Surrey but -- with some estimates of the total cost at more than one-billion dollars -- she urges Farnworth and provincially appointed liaison Jessica MacDonald to share any details they have.

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