City of Surrey to pay mayor’s legal bills for public mischief charge

Surrey taxpayers will be footing Doug McCallum’s legal bills, as the mayor faces a charge of public mischief.

In an email Monday, a spokesperson for the City confirmed the City of Surrey will cover the costs, citing a bylaw that protects municipal officials from legal action, and provides for “payment of amounts required or incurred to defend any action, prosecution, or claim.”

McCallum was charged on Friday after a special prosecutor was appointed to look into an incident from September where the mayor alleged an opponent of replacing the RCMP with a municipal police force ran over his foot with their car. The charge prompted opponents on council, and pro-RCMP campaigners to call for McCallum to immediately resign.

The City of Surrey confirms it will be paying Mayor Doug McCallum's legal bills in connection with the public mischief charge against him. A spokesperson cites this Surrey bylaw, specifically Section 7:https://t.co/nQt0F0zbod

— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) December 13, 2021

Coun. Linda Annis tells CityNews she is “absolutely shocked” by Monday’s update on the case. She admits she’s aware this bylaw exists, but she does not believe it should be enforced for this particular incident.

“This was something he did on his own time … and got himself into an altercation. Clearly, this is not something that the taxpayers’ money should be spent on.”

According to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, “These kinds of decisions for local elected officials are up to local governments. By legislation, local governments may adopt a bylaw that provides for the indemnification of local government officials to defend against a claim, action or prosecution brought against them in connection with their official duties or functions.”

When the Surrey resident hear that they will be footing the bill, Annis says she is sure taxpayers will be “furious.”

“Taxpayers’ money should be spent to provide services to the residents of Surrey not for paying somebody’s legal bills when they get into trouble on their personal time,” she said.

Annis adds she’s asked the city manager, “how much has the city paid for already for the mayor’s defense? And I also asked him for an estimate of what they expect us to be moving forward.”

But no matter the cost, she says, “it’s just wrong that the city is doing this.”

Annis is doubling down and saying it’s not her place to decide whether or not the mayor should step down, but she does think McCallum should step aside from his duties as mayor and chair of the police board until the legal process is complete.

“He needs to take a leave of absence now,” she says. “Being Chair of the Police Board and being investigated for criminal activity, to me, there’s a direct conflict there.”

Surrey Police Vote strategist Bill Tielman says the mischief charges McCallum faces are even hurting the city’s reputation.

“I think it’s an embarrassment because we’ve seen Mayor Doug McCallum do repeatedly things that are questionable, are controversial, concerning and do not reflect Surrey in a good light,” he said.

Elections BC has already quashed Surrey Police Vote’s bid for a referendum, as it didn’t collect the signatures needed province-wide.

And with Surrey’s 2022 budget overdue, Annis adds she believes these charges have been “a huge distraction to the city.”

“We have no idea what the tax increases are going to be in 2022. And this is just going to be one additional cost that we’re going to have to put on to the residents of Surrey that they shouldn’t be paying for.”

McCallum’s first court appearance will be in Surrey in late January.

– With files from Tarnjit Parmar, Paul James and Crystal Laderas