Budget 2008

The City of Surrey recently approved the financial plans for this year. Check out what Council is spending your tax dollars on:

City-wide Initiatives

• Crime Reduction Strategy:
  • $450,000 towards the implementation of the Surrey Justice Centre Community Court,
  • $375,000 towards 10 “Community Safety Officers” (whatever the heck those are),
  • $300,000 towards CCTV cameras in various areas in the city (can somebody say privacy issue?)
• Healthcare:
  • $2,500,000 towards the rezoning, building permit, and development permit of the new SMH Emergency Care Centre,
• Sustainability:
  • $200,000 towards a new Sustainability Office, including such staff positions as Sustainability Manager, an Environmental Technologist, and an Economic Researcher,
• Social Plan:
  • $60,000 towards Community School Partnerships,
  • $75,000 towards the Coordinator for School Partnership Program,
  • $50,000 towards Outreach and Volunteer Support,
  • $45,000 towards additional Sunday Library openings,
  • $51,000 towards Diversity Outreach Programs,
• “Community Beautification”:
  • $408,000 towards street landscaping, including 5,149 trees

Major Capital Projects

• Cloverdale Multi Purpose Centre:
  • $22,600,000 for a new 45,000 square foot multi-purpose centre in Cloverdale. The design and construction of this facility will commence in 2008. Although the Plan shows that the funding for this project is spread over three years, it is expected that the project would be complete by late 2009
  • Art Space
  • $1,500,000 for the construction of additional art space in the City
• Repairs at the Cloverdale Recreation Centre
  • $400,000 for urgent building envelope repairs to the Cloverdale Recreation Centre
• Seniors Spaces
  • $375,000 expansion of Bear Creek Pavilion for senior’s use
  • $100,000 for conversion of the current Community Policing Office at Fleetwood Community Centre to senior’s space
• Civic Squares
  • $1,900,000 towards the construction of civic squares in the City
• Artificial Turf Fields
  • Construction of two artificial turf fields in 2008. One will be at Hjorth Road Park in Guildford.
• Parks
  • $800,000 towards a field house and additional parking at Hjorth Road Park for the artificial turf field
  • $200,000 towards the study of the reintroduction of small community parks
• RCMP
  • Money towards additional police space in the City as the force grows in size
• Cloverdale Main Street Upgrade
  • $1,000,000 towards urban landscape improvements to “Main Street” (aka: 176 St.) in Downtown Cloverdale, in conjunction with the Cloverdale Town Centre Master Plan from 2000. The upgrades will include enhancements to sidewalks, streetlighting, boulevard landscaping, street furniture, and various frontage and building façade upgrades.

Grants

• $75,000 for the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society
• $29,000 for the Graffiti Removal Program in conjunction with the Surrey Crime Prevention Society