A Surrey city councillor is leaving Mayor Doug McCallum’s Safe Surrey Coalition party.
Coun. Steven Pettigrew said “he’s had enough” and will sit as an independent.
He said several issues brought him to this point, including the loss of thousands of trees to make way for development and the lack of public consultation on the transition to a municipal police force.
“The primary driver is the trees,” Pettigrew said, noting that “council has endorsed the removal of almost 50,000 trees over the last seven months.”
McCallum responded to the departure in an emailed statement.
“I am not surprised but what I find disappointing is his treatment of the voters who cast a ballot for him as a member of the Safe Surrey Coalition,” wrote McCallum.
“Since Pettigrew was elected to council, he’s conveniently forgotten the platform and the promises we made to the people of Surrey.”
Last month, Pettigrew tried to bring forth a “notice of motion” at a Surrey council meeting, calling for public consultation to be held before moving to a municipal police force and away from the RCMP.
McCallum was having none of it, and said it was the wrong venue to bring forth the “notice of motion.”
Pettigrew said he’s been thinking about the move for several months, saying “he can’t take it any more.”