Ethics on hold? Surrey City Council to take a controversial vote tonight

Surrey City Council is set to take a controversial vote tonight, and the result could potentially put a pause on ethics investigations.

The proposed bylaw amendment would “suspend the processing and investigation of complaints by the Surrey Ethics Commissioner.”

The information was revealed when the City of Surrey posted its council meeting agenda for January 31 last week.

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The proposal comes at an interesting time for the City of Surrey.

Mayor Doug McCallum is currently in the middle of an ongoing trial in connection to allegations of mischief after an incident that took place in a Save-On-Foods parking lot. In December of last year, McCallum was charged with public mischief.

If the bylaw is passed, it would mean that ethics complaints would not be looked at until October at the earliest.

The Surrey Ethics Commissioner is a neutral, independent officer who oversees the conduct of elected officials.

The office was established in February 2020, and the role of the office is to keep elected officials accountable.

Some councillors have sounded off on this proposal, and they’re not happy. One of those councillors is Linda Annis.

Government should be transparent to residents. That’s why we need an Ethics Commissioner at all times, not just when it’s convenient. Putting it on hold, puts ethics on hold. If you want to hide your ethics, you don’t want to be accountable to voters. Ethics can’t be put on hold.

— Linda Annis (@LindaAnnisBC) January 30, 2022

The meeting is set to begin shortly after 5 pm.

Today’s Council meeting takes place at City Hall. Options to participate include watching the livestream online, submitting written comments or registering to attend in person.

Learn more: https://t.co/VVbbMN5qhe pic.twitter.com/jyx5Iic48k

— City of Surrey (@CityofSurrey) January 31, 2022