Accomplishments

Surrey First has worked together to transform Surrey into a thriving metropolis with a quality of life and a vision for our community that sets the example.

We have built an economy that is the envy of the province:

  • The lowest property taxes in the Lower Mainland
  • The second lowest business-tax in the Lower Mainland
  • Being named the Best Place to Invest in BC by the Real Estate Investment Network
  • $11 billion in private sector investment
  • 2,000 new companies created each year
  • Developing the Innovation Boulevard, a world-leading hub of healthcare technologies
  • Maintained the lowest spending per capita in the Lower Mainland, with a low debt burden and a financial reserve of nearly half a billion dollars

We have moved aggressively to provide an environment where people feel safe in their streets and have trust in government:

  • Increased RCMP funding from $69 million in 2005 to $123 million in 2014
  • Added 300 new RCMP officers
  • Created a Surrey Crime Prevention Strategy which is 90% complete or underway
  • Been recognized for financial transparency in government with the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting
  • Cleaned up the City Hall which was left scandal-plagued by the previous Mayor, with whistle-blower protection, a respectful workplace policy, and a lobbyist registry

We have built a vision for a city where no one gets left behind:

  • Creation of the Surrey Homelessness and Housing Foundation
  • Timber Grove Mental Health Centre with 52 units
  • Quibble Creek Sobering Centre with 52 units
  • Maxxine Wright Centre and Health Clinic for Women and Children, 36 units with 59 daycare spots
  • Peterson Place, 39 homeless units
  • Rising Sun, 70 units opening in 2015
  • Sophie’s Place Child Advocacy Centre, first of its kind in BC

We have created a quality of life that sets the standard of how to achieve balanced growth for the future:

  • $5 billion Build Surrey program, investing in community centres, libraries, sports facilities, parks, public facilities and transportation without raising property taxes
  • Awarded the E3 Fleet Gold Rating by the Fraser Basin Council
  • Recognized by the David Suzuki Foundation for creating the first bio-diversity strategy in the Lower Mainland
  • Leading North America in the creation of a bio-fuel facility which will make Surrey a closed-loop system, that processes organic waste into fuel used by city vehicles
  • Preserving and protecting nearly 8,000 acres of green space
  • Creating a Sustainability Charter with a 50-year vision for Surrey’s future
  • Climate Action plan that has reduced greenhouse gases by 18% from 2009-2011
  • Diverted 70% of landfill waste