November 4, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Surrey First Councillor and mayoral candidate Linda Annis has publicly urged the current City Council to conduct a transparent core review of municipal operations, asserting that such a review could lead to a zero property tax increase in 2026.
Annis issued a direct challenge, warning that if Mayor Brenda Locke and her four associated councillors refuse the review, she would commission a comprehensive review upon being elected Mayor next year and guarantee no property tax increase for 2027.
Annis was sharp in her criticism of current spending, stating, “Taxpayers should not be an ATM machine for politicians who aren’t prepared to review the city’s spending.”
She claimed that Surrey’s annual budget is rapidly approaching $2 billion and insisted that significant savings could be found through identifying operational efficiencies. Annis noted that Surrey is overly dependent on residential property taxes.
The councillor expressed a desire to boost the city’s economy and business sector to create more jobs closer to home and reduce commuting for residents.
Annis concluded that until a transparent review is conducted within the city, particularly concerning its operations within Metro Vancouver, future financial estimates for the city cannot be taken seriously.
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