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Wards System is in the news again and this time, we need to keep the dialogue going. Citizens need to be educated on the benefits of implementing a Wards System in Surrey. The Surrey Civic Coalition has been attempting to do this for many years without the support of the current Surrey City Council, with the exception of Councillor Bob Bose.

SCC has been an advocate of the Wards System since 2002 and I’ve been pushing for Wards for many years. Councillor Bose has attempted to get this motion for referendum passed many times. Most recently he tried a few months ago and unfortunately, his motion was denied again by the other Surrey First Councillors.

Surrey is growing at a rapid pace and we need to accommodate the needs of the citizens accordingly. Out of all the major cities in Canada, Vancouver and Surrey are the only two cities that don’t have a Wards System. Having 8 City Councillors in an at-large system is simply outdated and it’s time for the current City Councillors to address this issue in the community.

The Surrey community needs to be fully educated on a Wards System vs. Mixed Wards system through public consultations sessions and review the pros and cons. Then there should be a referendum for them to vote on whether they would like it implemented in Surrey or not. The current City Councillors will not even allow this opportunity because they are afraid that their “positions on Council” will be in jeopardy if a Wards System is implemented. Is this a valid reason to withhold the democratic right of the public to decide on the future of their City?

The reality is, the Provincial and Federal governments have “area representation” which allows for the MLA or MP to build strong relationships with residents living in their constituency. The residents know exactly who to go to with their concerns. The current at-large system in Surrey is flawed especially when I hear citizens complaining that they cannot get hold of any of the current Councillors. Accessibility and accountability is a major problem with the current at-large system. I’ve heard many situations of citizens attempting to call, email and visit City Hall with hopes of getting hold of a Councillor that can assist them. After no response, their issue goes unresolved.

If there was 1 dedicated Councillor per town centre, then citizens would know exactly who to go to. Councillors will have to be accessible to their constituents and accountable if their issues go unaddressed. Implementing a Wards System or Mixed Wards System in Surrey will also encourage more community involvement and higher voter turnout. Isn’t that what we want? For the public to be more engaged with Municipal issues? It’s time, folks. Let’s get educated on how the Wards System can better our City and let’s go to referendum!

Rina Gill – SCC Candidate for Surrey City Council
604 599 9902
rina@rinagill.ca

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