‘I’ve hit a nerve’: Surrey councillor denied access to information on city contract with U.S. company

A Surrey city councillor says he was shocked after he was told to submit a freedom of information request (FOI) while trying to get more information on a contract the city holds.

Coun. Mike Bose says councillors have a need to know about the city and its business, and that being told to submit an FOI, is a real “slap in the face.”

Bose says he was looking for details about contracts that Surrey has with an American real estate and development advisory firm from Chicago, Hunden, when he was denied.

Hunden, he says, has been hired by the city to carry out “stakeholder engagement” for an arena, and long-term plans for the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.

But when he asked the city’s finance department for more information about the number and value of contracts with Hunden, he says he was told it was not publicly available, and was “floored” when told to file an FOI.

“This ridiculous roadblock tells me I’ve hit a nerve, and someone doesn’t want taxpayers to know what’s going on between the City of Surrey and the Hunden Partners of Chicago,” said Bose.

Given the burgeoning trade war with the U.S., he says the city needs to focus more on partnering with Canadian companies.

“In this new reality we be looking inward and making sure that we’re doing the best we can for our own country,” Bose told 1130 NewsRadio.

Coun. Linda Annis says the situation doesn’t sit right with her either.

“This bureaucratic roadblock to keep information from an elected councillor should concern every Surrey resident and taxpayer,” Annis wrote in Bose’s support, adding that the city should be doing everything it can to buy locally.

“We need to take the threats to our economy and our sovereignty seriously, and we really do need to be looking inward, and all levels of government need to be leading by example,” said Bose.