Surrey mayor returned city car with extensive damage, says outgoing councillor
Police say there was no criminal offence and investigation is closed
An outgoing Surrey councillor has shared a photo he says shows extensive damage to Mayor Doug McCallum's city-provided vehicle.
Coun. Jack Hundial posted a photo Sunday of a white SUV with a damaged front end, saying it was a city-funded vehicle that McCallum returned following Saturday's municipal election.
Hundial said city staff provided him with the photo.
To my extreme disqust, this is how McCallum returned his <a href="https://twitter.com/CityofSurrey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CityofSurrey</a> funded vehicle.. a final FU to Surrey residents <a href="https://twitter.com/JanetBrown980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JanetBrown980</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SurreyNowLeader?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SurreyNowLeader</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CupeLocal402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CupeLocal402</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Local1271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Local1271</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SurreyRCMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SurreyRCMP</a> <a href="https://t.co/8pqp32yYDO">pic.twitter.com/8pqp32yYDO</a>
—@JackHundial"There's a responsibility you have when you procure or are using a taxpayer-subsidized vehicle," said Hundial, a member of the Surrey Connect council slate. He did not run for re-election in last weekend's municipal election.
How the vehicle was damaged is not known.
Unofficial election results from the City of Surrey show Locke — also of the Surrey Connect slate — clinched the victory with 973 votes more than McCallum.
CBC tried to contact McCallum through multiple channels on Monday but did not receive a reply. The City is not commenting, adding the matter is being reviewed.
RCMP say it has been in contact with the City of Surrey about a damaged vehicle. Police said they determined there was no criminal offence and the investigation was closed.
Hundial says to his understanding the city leases the vehicle for the mayor's use, something he says is not extended to other elected city officials.
"The vehicle was leased to the City of Surrey, [it's] not a personal vehicle," he said. "Now who's responsible for the damages of fixing that vehicle before it gets returned back as a leased vehicle?"
On Monday, McCallum's party — the Safe Surrey Coalition — said he is not conceding the election to Locke.
The Safe Surrey Coalition said in a statement that with less than a 1,000-vote difference from his challenger, McCallum won't accept defeat "at this point in time.''
"The Safe Surrey Coalition says its legal advisers are exploring grounds for a judicial recount under Section 148 of the Local Elections Act," which outlines rules for requesting a judicial recount through the Supreme Court of B.C, the statement said.
According to the act, an application for a judicial recount can be made on the basis that votes were not correctly accepted or rejected, that a ballot account did not accurately record the number of votes for a candidate or that they weren't calculated correctly in the official election results.'
-- With files from Liam Britten