Metro Vancouver Board voted in secret, but taxpayers have a right to know how their mayor voted: Councillor Linda Annis
Surrey, B.C. (July 26, 2025): Surrey First Councillor Linda Annis wants to know if Mayor Brenda Locke was one of the Metro Vancouver board members who voted to cancel the independent review of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant fiasco on Friday, July 25. The board decided to put off the review until the court case between Metro and former contractor Acciona is concluded, a case that is at least two years away.
"Behind closed doors, without the public or media in attendance, Metro Vancouver’s board voted to pull the plug and put off the review of the project, which is $3 billion over budget and years behind schedule, until a pending court case is concluded, a case that is at least two years away," noted Annis. "Once again Metro Vancouver has put itself ahead of taxpayers and voters, and they did it in a way that kept how each director voted secret. They didn't even have the courage to show their own local residents how they voted."
Annis said taxpayers across the region should demand to know how their mayors and councillors on the Metro board voted, and she is asking Mayor Brenda Locke to tell the Surrey residents how she voted.
“I hope she stood up for Surrey taxpayers and voted against the cancellation of the independent review,” said Annis. “I think every resident, taxpayer and local politician who is not on the Metro Board should demand that the Metro vote be made public. This sort of closed-door decision making is typical of Metro these days and reinforces just how badly change is needed at Metro.”
Annis said she also worries that if the court case is settled out of court, that there will be some sort of non-disclosure agreement that prevents any further investigation into the wastewater treatment plant’s financial mess.
“By voting to cancel the review, and with the court case scheduled to start after next year’s municipal elections, the Metro Board has conveniently shielded its staff and politicians from scrutiny,” said Annis. “At the very least, Brenda Locke owes the citizens of Surrey an explanation of how she voted and why.”