SURREY — Since Coun. Barinder Rasode announced her departure from the Surrey First slate last week, Mayor Dianne Watts has yet to publicly respond to her charges.
Last Thursday, Rasode emailed all of Surrey council stating she would be sitting as an independent due to concerns about spending at city hall, as well the approach taken toward public safety and community consultation.
The Now has obtained a copy of the email Watts sent to Rasode and the rest of council, where she fires back at Rasode's claims.
"First and foremost we have always encouraged open dialogue and debate in a respectful and supportive way. Secondly, at the time of Julie Paskalls (sic) death You were fully aware that there was a complete review of the RCMP deployment and resourcing underway as well as 360 review which had begun in October. That information was shared with Council by our OIC," Watts writes, adding that Rasode went public with comments about needing 45 more officers, without talking about the review or work that was underway.
"As Chair of the Police Committee and holder of the Public Safety Portfolio for years you never once mentioned this to the general public," Watts wrote. "Nor did you bring any of these issues of 'concern' to Council or to the Police Committee over those years. Not until Julie's death and then chose to do it through the media and still to this day you have not brought this 'issue' forward at a Council meeting or budget meeting or the Police Committee."
Watts then says Rasode is "misleading the public" by making comments about the contracting out of police services, insisting Rasode knows no decision has been made and the matter will go before council.
Watts also insists in her email that all FOI requests are responded to.
"If you have any information where this has not occurred please bring it forward to our City Manager to have it addressed. Innuendo is not facts."
Watts writes that all spending at city hall goes through the budget process, and points out that Rasode voted in favour of every budget.
She says Rasode should have brought concerns forward at a council meeting, and writes, "To suggest that proper protocol was not followed on Major projects such as City Hall is completely false. Every corporate report has gone before Council in an open meeting and voted on in that format. You voted in favour if (sic) each expenditure."
In closing, Watts writes, "As you and your team campaign for Mayor and Council seats I just ask that you give the right information to the general public. Thank you for your contribution to Surrey First and I wish you all the very best."
In a statement from the City of Surrey's media desk, Watts said she is "saddened and disappointed" that Rasode feels unable to work in the team environment to bring issues forward to council and committees.
Watts did not respond to Rasode's criticisms in the statement, and said she "will not engage in electioneering."
RASODE SAYS COUNCIL HAS BECOME 'HOSTILE'
Rasode insists she hasn't decided if she's running for mayor yet, and has "not at all engaged with anybody about running a slate," adding, "I'm now speaking against the slate model because I believe it doesn't work in Surrey."
As well, Rasode says her comments are not an election platform, but instead have to do with the timeliness of the issues at hand.
In Rasode's email, sent last Thursday, she claims the more questions she asks of council, the more "hostile" the relationship becomes.
She writes that she believes there is "a systematic failure of process at City Hall, and in order to adequately address this issue, I have decided to sit as an Independent on Council."
Rasode says in the email there are three issues she finds troubling, "both personally and professionally: 1. The approach taken toward public safety and fighting crime. 2. Spending at City Hall. 3. Community consultation."
She goes on to say that due to a series of events "it has become obvious that I am not able to offer alternative viewpoints while remaining a member of Surrey First."
"Following the tragic death of Julie Paskall, I spoke out about the need to fulfill the commitment in our crime reduction strategy to hire more police officers, and implement additional safety measures in Newton and around our facilities. In the weeks following, I was criticized by council both privately and publically (sic), cut off from staff resources, removed as Chair of the Police Committee, and stopped receiving Council updates from the OIC of the Surrey RCMP," Rasode charges.
Surrey RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet said, "City of Surrey councillors are provided with the same updates and relevant information from the Surrey RCMP. This now appears to be an election issue and as a result it would be inappropriate to comment further as the police are impartial."
RASODE 'ELECTIONEERING'
Speaking on behalf of Surrey First, Coun. Linda Hepner said the team is disappointed by the announcement, adding that Rasode has never raised these issues at the council table or in committee meetings.
"I think there's a lot of electioneering in here as opposed to something that's real," Hepner said.
She suspects Rasode made her decision months ago and it's just coming to light now.
"She's a strong worker and I think we'll continue to support her. And we wish her the very best of luck in whatever else she would like to do and we're sorry she couldn't do it within our environment," Hepner said.
Rasode ran under the left-leaning Surrey Civic Coalition slate in the 2005 civic election. In the 2008 election, she joined Surrey First, and made history when she became the first South Asian woman elected to Surrey council.