Surrey Board of Trade Calls for Immediate Surrey City Budget Re-Direction to COVID-19 Economic and City Response
– New Public Safety Infrastructure Not a Priority in these Unprecedented Times
The Surrey Board of Trade is calling for the City of Surrey to take immediate action and communication to re-direct financial resources committed to Surrey’s new public safety infrastructure (a new Surrey Police Department) to counter the crisis that is COVID-19 on Surrey’s residents, arts community, service organizations, and businesses.
“In these unprecedented times of COVID-19 economic impacts not only to business but to all levels of government, the City of Surrey must re-deploy all efforts to rebuild our economy,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade.
THE SURREY BOARD OF TRADE CALLS FOR:
1. City of Surrey Pandemic Team to virtually update stakeholders and businesses on a weekly basis by phone (note Federal Government does this nationally with over 800 stakeholders daily);
2. New public safety infrastructure (new Surrey Police Department) postponed indefinitely;
3. City of Surrey Budget to be updated to reflect urgent emergency services, resident, vulnerable population and economic needs;
4. Invest in new processes to improve development application and approval times; and,
5. Focus on economic infrastructure projects that will create new jobs and investments to ensure Surrey is ready to be the largest city in British Columbia.
“The Surrey Board of Trade will continue to advocate for infrastructure investments from all levels of government and private sector investment in Surrey.”
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