Linda Annis

Surrey: Mayor Doug McCallum’s decision to shut down the city’s long-standing public safety committee in favour of a one-sided advisory group that only includes himself and his remaining Safe Surrey councillors is one more sign that he’s stopped caring about anyone’s opinion but his own, says Councillor Linda Annis.

“Doug McCallum has stopped listening to anyone who thinks differently, and that’s not good for our city,” said Annis. “Shutting down the public safety committee was a poor decision because that committee includes every councillor and deals with so much more than just policing,” noted Annis. “But, more than anything, this latest decision is a sad commentary on the state of our city hall and the Mayor’s office. Dissenting or different opinions are no longer welcome, and by only including his remaining Safe Surrey councillors on his advisory committee the Mayor is guaranteed to hear exactly what he wants to hear. But, it’s out-of-touch with our community and taxpayers and that has to concern our community.”

Annis said that as the Mayor and the remaining Safe Surrey councillors stop listening to the community “we can expect to feel their grip on power tighten even more” because that’s the only way they can do exactly what they want, with complete disregard for other opinions or voices.

“I think we’re going to see more of this sort of isolated and intolerant behavior, and that has to raise red flags for all of us in Surrey.”