The Editor,
Mayor Doug McCallum has been charged with public mischief and he is being represented by Richard Peck, one of Vancouver’s most expensive defence attorneys.
I also understand that the City of Surrey is paying McCallum’s legal bills.
While I believe that anybody accused of a criminal offence is entitled to be represented by the best lawyer available, I do not understand why Surrey taxpayers should be expected to pick up the bill.
If the councillor or employee is alleged to have committed an offence while conducting city or council business, I can understand it. However, this is clearly not the case as according to McCallum, he was just doing personal shopping at the time of the alleged offence.
If the city is to pay the legal costs of councillors and employees when they are conducting personal business and are subsequently charged with a criminal offence, this sets a dangerous precedent.
In order to avoid this situation McCallum should know that any legal costs that he incurs related to this matter will be for his own account and his alone.
Ken Harrap, Surrey
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The Editor,
How can the City of Surrey agree to hiring one of the most expensive lawyers in B.C. to defend the mayor for allegedly making a false report on his own time, while he was shopping for groceries?
Is this an example of the sort of decisions we can expect with the new police force? Does everyone just do whatever the mayor asks, no matter the law or precedent?
The mayor was not forced to make a false statement as part of his job. As a Surrey taxpayer, I am incensed to have to pay the legal costs of a city employee for something that they did on their own time, as a private citizen.
Fred Partridge, Surrey
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The Editor,
Now that the Surrey mayor has been charged with mischief and could be facing jail time if convicted, is he not responsible for his own legal fees given that the incident of his alleged toe injury (toegate), happened while he was grocery shopping on his own time, not while he was performing city duties?
The taxpayers of Surrey should not have to pay his legal fees.
Is there any mandates in B.C. regarding municipal governments, that if a mayor or city council member have a criminal record, they cannot run for office or be removed from office?
Michele Bruce, Surrey
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The Editor,
As a taxpaying citizen since 1985, how can we, as citizens pay for the inept mayor’s legal costs?
Unreal!
He himself claimed he was personally shopping (not on city business), when he met a group opposed to his policing transition, Now, he is alleged to have lied to police and has been charged with public mischief.
Surrey is once again the joke of Metro Vancouver.
He has given us a road the through Bear Creek Park, Campbell Heights development and more development than the city can handle.
He needs to resign. He is unfit to make key decisions on our city.
But he wants to carry on to a October 2022 election loss, and he can take his four “yes councillors” with him. I am embarrassed by his actions, and his four followers.
Let’s get some honest leadership in the City of Surrey in 2022.
Rob Oliver, Surrey
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The Editor,
The mayor should be packing a bag, because he may be going to jail. At the very least, he will be left with the stigma of being charged with public mischief.
And why on Earth would a city as large as ours consider making such a policing change when we have one of the finest, if not the finest, police forces in the world?
Alex Matches, Surrey
edit@surreynowleader.com
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