Surrey mayor cuts funding to skating rinks, community centres to the ire of residents

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum came to the defence of the first budget of his term in a news conference Tuesday, calling it “one of the best budgets that I’ve seen.” The proposed budget includes a 2.9-per-cent tax increase and cuts to planned community infrastructure projects that total nearly $136 million. Set to be put on pause are ice rinks in Cloverdale, plans for community centre and library expansions, a child-care project, policing infrastructure, parks and cultural amenities, among other things. This plan has alarmed residents who believed that these project, of which they claim are greatly needed, were going ahead.

Guest: Mike Bola

President of the Cloverdale Community Association

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum came to the defence of the first budget of his term in a news conference Tuesday, calling it “one of the best budgets that I’ve seen.” The proposed budget includes a 2.9-per-cent tax increase and cuts to planned community infrastructure projects that total nearly $136 million. Set to be put on pause are ice rinks in Cloverdale, plans for community centre and library expansions, a child-care project, policing infrastructure, parks and cultural amenities, among other things. This plan has alarmed residents who believed that these project, of which they claim are greatly needed, were going ahead.

Guest: Mike Bola

President of the Cloverdale Community Association