Public still hasn’t seen Surrey’s 2022 budget, but mayor pledges to keep tax hike under 3%

While the City of Vancouver’s budget — and its controversial 6.35-per cent property tax hike — have generated plenty of debate, neighbouring Surrey is facing complaints its budget has yet to see daylight.

But the city’s mayor is pledging the half-billion dollar spending plan is on the way, and will deliver a tax hike of less than half what Vancouver residents are shelling out.

“I heard on the news today that the mayor had said that council has seen the budget,” Surrey Coun. Brenda Locke said.

“I’m not sure when we’ve seen it because I’ve attended every council meeting and there’s been nothing forthcoming.”

Locke said a draft version of the document would normally be made public in mid-November, allowing time for the public and stakeholders to review it and comment.

She said one line item many in the community want to see is spending for the new Surrey Police Service, which deployed its first 50 officers earlier this month.

1:09 Vancouver city council approves 6.35% property tax hike

“One of the biggest single expenditures the City of Surrey has ever made …  is moving ahead at a rapid pace, spending money, but yet we don’t have a budget in place as a city that includes the expenditures of the Surrey Police Service for 2022 yet.”

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The delay has also drawn the ire of the business community, with Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman expressing her frustration Thursday.

“I don’t know why the mayor and council all of them as stewards of the city can’t issue a comment or a perspective to update it’s citizens, business taxpayers,” she said.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum told Global news the budget would be ready “in a few weeks,” and said residents would see a tax hike of 2.9 per cent.

“Certainly in the next couple of weeks the public will get an opportunity to see it our staff are working very hard on it,” he said.

Surrey residents also saw a 2.9 per cent property tax increase in the 2021 budget, but also saw the $100 flat parcel tax for property owners tripled to $300.