Now mayor and council want us to accept multiple suites in designated areas.
If the city is unwilling or unable to enforce a one suite authorization, it stretches the imagination to think they can enforce regulations allowing multiple suites in designated areas.
So it will be open season for the lawbreakers – law-abiding citizens, yet again, will pick up the tab.
It is estimated that there already over 4,000 multiple-suite homes, yet they are not allowed. There are, by conservative estimates, 20,000 unauthorized single suites and these homeowners are not paying taxes on these.
In fact, Coun. Tom Gill estimated the number to be in the 30,000 range.
At a bargain rate of $240 per year in taxes for these suites, a minimum of $7.2 million of additional revenue could be generated.
Enforcement to retrieve this lost revenue would be a fraction of this financial gain, but this seems far too expensive for Surrey to even contemplate.
As well, there is no effort by the city to ensure these unauthorized suites are brought up to electrical, gas and plumbing codes through the authorization process. This puts people at unacceptable risk.
The city has stated more than once that they prefer negotiation versus litigation to bring these homeowners into line. For the lawbreakers this is code for “do whatever you want because there will be no consequences.”
I’m calling on law-abiding Surrey citizens to:
a) Absolutely oppose any move to multiple suites;
b) Insist that the City of Surrey enforce authorization of all existing unauthorized suites and ensure these meet all applicable building codes; and
c) Insist that the city be far more open and transparent to the citizens of Surrey and build the trust that is currently so lacking.
Steve Burke , Surrey