September 25, 2025
Gagandeep Singh
In the wake of two major fraud cases involving millions of taxpayer dollars, Surrey City Councillor and mayoral candidate Linda Annis is doubling down on her call to establish an Independent Auditor General for the city — a position she says is long overdue and critically needed to restore public trust.
Speaking with Red FM News, Annis emphasized that while she has been advocating for this role for years, the urgency has grown following revelations of alleged fraudulent activity that led to the disappearance of over $4.6 million in public funds. “In the past couple of years, we’ve had two very significant fraudulent cases happen at the city,” Annis stated. “That’s just one part of why we need an Auditor General someone who ensures taxpayers’ dollars are being used efficiently and effectively.” While Annis declined to go into legal specifics, she confirmed the two cases involved $2.5 million and $2.1 million, respectively, with funds reportedly going missing over several years through suspected fraud.
Lack of Oversight Raises Questions : Despite the magnitude of the losses, Annis says past mayors and councils have failed to act. “It makes absolutely no sense to me,” she said. “I brought forward a notice of motion under both Doug McCallum and Brenda Locke, but it didn’t move forward. I hope it wasn’t political maybe it was just a lack of understanding of what an Auditor General does.” Surrey remains one of the few large Canadian cities without an independent auditor a point Annis highlights as concerning, given the city’s nearly $2 billion annual budget.
Promise to Establish the Role Within 100 Days : Annis, who recently announced her candidacy for mayor in the upcoming Surrey election, has made the creation of an Auditor General’s office one of her key campaign promises. If elected, she pledges to establish the office within her first 100 days.It would come before council for approval and then we’d move quickly to set up the office,” Annis explained. “It’s important we act as good stewards of the public purse. This isn’t just about accountability it’s about respect for every taxpayer.”
Cost Concerns Addressed : Asked whether this new position might increase costs for residents, Annis said the opposite is more likely true. “Given how much we’ve lost already, hiring an Auditor General is a small price to pay. A second set of independent eyes can help us avoid costly mistakes and waste, ultimately saving taxpayers millions.
Learning from Other Cities : Annis pointed to cities like Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver as examples Surrey can learn from, citing successful cost-saving initiatives driven by their respective auditor general offices.
“There are lots of examples where money has been saved in all areas of city operations. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel just implement proven best practices.”
Restoring Public Trust : Ultimately, Annis says restoring confidence in City Hall will require transparency, accountability, and decisive action.Taxpayers need to know their money is being handled with care. An Auditor General will ensure we are spending wisely, following best practices, and protecting public funds.
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