Last week, former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum and the Safe Surrey Coalition promised a major announcement today, and that announcement is here.
It’s official: McCallum is taking another mayoral run and will be running alongside some Surrey heavyweights.
In a short Facebook announcement ahead of the full press release, some of McCallum’s previous accolades were touted, like “Doug built SkyTrain to Clayton Heights” and Doug brought UBC to Surrey.”
The post also said, “Doug kept your taxes low. And Doug is not done yet.”
Additionally, it shed light on some of his promises ahead of the next Surrey mayoral election this October.
A news release from the Safe Surrey Coalition suggests that McCallum will bring the SkyTrain to Newton, offer a zero per cent property tax, create the Surrey Centre Opportunity Zone, and bring safe streets to every family.
The announcement states that Surrey would see zero per cent property tax increases for four years under a new regime.
It also promises to bring a new swimming Pool to Clayton Heights, and says that McCallum would “designate Crescent Beach and Ocean Park as protected heritage zones.”
“Doug will make Surrey a global city. Let’s make sure he has the team to do it.”
McCallum is also committed to bringing the Surrey Police Service more boots on the ground, and to bring in a new helicopter within the first 90 days of taking office.
“The aircraft will provide aerial surveillance and rapid response capability to combat gang activity and extortion across the city,” the announcement says.
McCallum’s team includes councillors Mandeep Nagra and Doug Elford.
A huge focus of McCallum’s announcement is his plan to make Surrey a ‘global city’ using city’s like Dubai, New York and London as an example. The Opportunity Zone is described as a “bold initiative” to eliminate city fees, cut red tape and bring in “transformational projects” like the ones that changed those other major cities.
“We are going to build a place in Surrey where ambition is rewarded and bureaucracy does not exist. Big ideas and small businesses will find the same open door. That is how you change a skyline. That is how you change people’s lives,” the announcement states.