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Doug McCallum running for Surrey mayor

Former mayor aims for big changes, including ‘pause’ in development, establishing local police force
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Former Surrey mayor Doug McCallum is tossing his hat in the ring. (Photo: Now-Leader)

SURREY — Doug McCallum wants his old job back.

“We’re going for it — we’re going for mayor,” McCallum told the Now-Leader on Tuesday. He says his camp will run a full slate, the name of which has yet to be revealed.

“We’ll be announcing that full slate in a little while,” he said.

McCallum served as Surrey’s mayor from 1996 to 2005. He’s aiming for seismic change at city hall, if elected.

“My sense in the public is they want to see a change.”

That change would include dropping plans for light rail in favour of extending the SkyTrain Expo line down Fraser Highway.

Also, he said, “We’re going to pause development” in the city and “look at smart development in Surrey.”

Moreover, he added, “We’re going to go with our own police force.”

The RCMP, he said, often transfer and “don’t really connect with the communities they’re in.”

McCallum said Surrey residents have been telling him to “get it turned around. They see it (the city) going the wrong way.”

His Safe Surrey Coalition slate went toe-to-toe with Linda Hepner’s Surrey First slate in the last civic election, where she received 44,944 votes to his 24,706.

He’ll now been squaring off against Tom Gill, Surrey First’s mayoralty candidate as Hepner is not seeking re-election.

Surrey’s civic election is Oct. 20.



tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com

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About the Author: Tom Zytaruk

I write unvarnished opinion columns and unbiased news reports for the Surrey Now-Leader.
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