Nov 12, 2008
Nov
12
2008
SCC
2008 Election
0
Wednesday, November 12
For Immediate Release
Surrey Mayor and City Councilors Provided with Briefing Notes by Staff In Support of Election Campaign
The Surrey Civic Coalition learned mayor and city councillors were provided with briefing notes by city staff to help them in recent all-candidates meetings.
An inter-office memo titled “re: All Candidates Meeting with Smart Growth BC” was provided on the eve of an all candidates meeting sponsored by Smart Growth BC.
SCC candidate Grant Rice, who learned of this, said, “Incumbent councillors cannot direct city staff use their working hours to support candidates in the election. You can’t do that! Spending public money to support incumbent councillors during a campaign is wrong.”
SCC candidate Stephanie Ryan posed the following questions: “How long has this been going on? How many other campaign events have mayor and her Surrey First team asked city staff to providing their support to their campaign? Who specifically directed staff to cross the line from their administrative duties to being partisan campaign workers? I find it amazing that Surrey First candidates are not capable of doing their own homework.”
Grant Rice continued, “Surrey First claims they are a party that is non-partisan. Not only is this not true, it appears the staff are being asked to be partisan as well.”
Bob Bose, an incumbent councilor with SCC, received this briefing document, as well as other briefings in advance of other campaign events in recent weeks.
“In my many years on Surrey Council I’ve never seen anything like this before. It is inappropriate for incumbent councillors to pressure city staff to support them in their campaign for re-election. Do either the mayor or Surrey First council members understand it is wrong to put the city manager and other department heads in compromised position.”
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For more information:
Bob Bose, 778-593-7800
Stephanie Ryan, 778-928-9091
Grant Rice, 604 584-1954
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Surrey Civic Coalition Campaign Office
102a 9030 King George Highway
Surrey, BC V3V 7Y3
Office: 778-593-7800
We’re Standing Up for Surrey!
www.scc2008.ca