Surrey city council to vote on controversial budget

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Tensions have flared within parts of the community, and today councillors with the City of Surrey are set to vote on the controversial budget that could see some popular projects put on hold.

This comes as the city grapples with debt, and a draft of the budget narrowly passed at last week’s Finance Committee.

All city councillors sit on that committee.

Among the projects that have an uncertain future within this budget is the Cloverdale ice rink. The budget, if approved, would see delays for several construction and upgrade projects for things like the ice rink, new community centres, and libraries.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum has said the city needs to look for ways to build facilities like these, but also needs to tackle its debt.

“We have listed the capital projects that we are going to build over the next five years, and we have listed the capital projects that we need to cut back because we are carrying too much debt,” he said earlier this month.

He added that it was not appropriate to borrow money to build things like ice rinks and parks, citing increasing borrowing costs.

The budget has drawn major criticism from community groups, especially those in the hockey community of Surrey who say the Cloverdale neighbourhood needs the space for kids to play as it grows.

-With files from Martin MacMahon

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