(Kristen Frier)
The City Surrey Council approved the city’s 2021 budget, which includes a number of controversial tax increases. Passed in a five-to-four vote on Dec. 7, Budget 2021 and its five-year financial plan polarized both sides of the virtual meeting.
Mayor Doug McCallum said in a statement that while he understands not increasing the burden faced by taxpayers, “the adversity that we face now with the pandemic will eventually come to an end, and Budget 2021 plans for life after COVID by investing in public projects in the form of facilities, parks and other infrastructure projects.”
For the third year in a row, the city will see a 2.9 per cent property tax increase and a 200 per cent increase in the capital parcel tax from $100 to $300 per household. In response, city councillors Brenda Locke and Jack Hundial quit their positions on the Parcel Tax Review Committee.