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Surrey business community grapples with police tax

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 05 Oct, 2023 01:22 PM

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.

MEDIA RELEASE: Surrey Board of Trade Concerned About Business Taxation with Two Police Forces in 2024https://t.co/zfC1EMHpnA @SBofT @mikefarnworthbc @brendalockebc @JanetBrown980 @GlobalBC @CKNW @CityNewsVAN @OMNITelevision @redfmvancouver @CBCNews @CTVVancouver @VancouverSun pic.twitter.com/UjSsp5EYSf
— Anita Huberman (@anitahuberman) October 5, 2023

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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