February 24, 2026
RED FM News Desk
Surrey City Hall and the local police board have reached a consensus on a proposed $284.5-million budget for the Surrey Police Service (SPS) for the 2026 fiscal year. This funding is specifically allocated to support the ongoing transition from the Surrey RCMP to the municipal SPS.
The proposal marks a significant $45-million increase over the 2025 funding levels and reflects a total budgetary growth of $100 million since 2021.
The City’s finance committee is scheduled to meet on March 9 to further discuss the proposal. Mayor Brenda Locke expressed satisfaction with the agreement, stating that her priority has remained focused on maintaining public safety while ensuring property taxes stay as low as possible. She noted that the current budget successfully achieves that balance. Harley Chappell, Chairman of the Police Board, echoed this sentiment, stating he is pleased that both parties found “common ground” on a budget that provides the SPS with the resources necessary to serve the community.
During a council meeting on Monday, City Manager Rob Costanzo and Finance Manager Kam Grewal delivered a joint presentation aimed at correcting “misinformation” surrounding the police transition costs. The presentation revealed that since 2024, there has been a “cumulative overfunding” of the SPS amounting to $65 million.
Finance Manager Kam Grewal clarified that in 2025, the SPS spent only $200.3 million of its approved $240.1-million budget, resulting in a significant underspend of approximately $39.8 million. To address this, City Manager Rob Costanzo announced that the City is taking the unusual step of carrying forward that nearly $40-million surplus and returning it to the SPS to fund operations and requirements for the 2026 calendar year.
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