Budget 2024

In preparing for the 2024 budget, Council must carefully consider emerging issues and community priorities, as well as the need to fund City services, amenities, and infrastructure. External factors must also be considered, such as economic inflation, materials and construction costs, climate change and extreme weather events. Protective services resourcing (e.g., fire services, police services, bylaw enforcement) is another vital component of the budget. In order to balance the budget while maintaining current service levels and address new funding priorities, the City needs to consider a combination of funding mechanisms, including property taxes and user fees. Decisions have not yet been made around tax increases that may be needed to balance the budget. Any tax increases within the draft budget will be impacted by the Province’s direction on policing in Surrey, external factors mentioned above, and findings from community engagement.

Hi John, our engagement period for the 2024 budget closed on October 5. The engagement results will be brought to the Finance Committee later this fall and there will still be a chance for the public to comment on the draft 2024 budget in December 2023/January 2024 (target timeframe).

Protective services (which includes policing services) make up a large proportion of the annual budgets for many Metro Vancouver municipalities and other local governments throughout the province.  

Mayor and Council will consider the input received from the community and work to adopt a financial plan that responds to the funding priorities identified through budget engagement.

Details on protective services spending by local governments throughout BC can be found on the Province’s municipal general and financial statistics webpage.

Hi Terry, Surrey’s budget process is underway. Decisions have not yet been made around tax increases that may be needed to balance the budget. Any tax increases within the draft budget will be impacted by the Province’s direction on policing in Surrey, external factors such as inflation, and findings from community engagement.

We undertook community engagement through an online survey and in-person open houses to gather feedback on priorities and funding options prior to drafting a budget. After the results of community engagement have been compiled and presented, a draft budget will be prepared for review by the Finance Committee. At that time, any considerations around changes to taxes will be shared with the public for input. A public hearing on the draft budget is expected to take place in December 2023 / January 2024 (target timeframe).

Hi Elvis, we’re sorry to hear that you didn’t get an opportunity to provide your valuable input.  Our engagement period for the 2024 budget closed on October 5. Best efforts were made to reach citizens and stakeholders and inform them of the different opportunities to participate in the 2024 budget engagement.  

We held 6 open house sessions, including smaller street team activations, at each of Surrey's six town centres between the period of September 23 to October 5. We also had an online survey open from September 11 to October 5. We advertised in all our public libraries, several recreation centres, activated a city-wide digital advertising campaign through our social channels, sent out e-newsletters to several wide-reaching city distribution lists, displayed ads on the Pattison digital boards throughout Surrey, and placed print advertising in three of our local papers on September 14 and 28. 

The engagement results will be brought to the Finance Committee later this fall and there will still be a chance for the public to comment on the draft 2024 budget in December 2023/January 2024 (target timeframe).

We plan to continue to engage our community prior to each budget year, so please stay tuned. Thank you.

In July 2023, the BC Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General directed that the transition to the Surrey Police Service (SPS) continue. The Minister also appointed a strategic implementation advisor to aid all parties on the transition to the SPS. The Province has recommitted to providing the City with at least $150 million to help offset the additional costs associated with the transition to the SPS. The City is currently working with all parties to determine next steps and details as there are a number of unresolved issues related to the Minister’s decision.

Please refer to Corporate Report R146 “Policing Transition Update”, September 11, 2023

Surrey Police Service financial updates are available through the Surrey Police Board website.

Thank you for your comment. We encourage you to give us your feedback on which priorities are most important to you and which funding options you prefer by taking our survey, open until October 5.

Please refer to Corporate Report R146 “Policing Transition Update”, September 11, 2023 

In July 2023, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General confirmed that the Province will contribute $150 million towards the anticipated costs of the police transition, although this is likely not sufficient to cover anticipated costs. Decisions have not yet been made around tax increases that may be needed to balance the budget. Any tax increases within the draft budget will be impacted by the Province’s direction on policing in Surrey, external factors such as inflation, and findings from community engagement.