Thousands sign petition for Surrey mayor to pay own legal expenses following mischief charge

Thousands have signed a petition calling for the mayor of Surrey, B.C., to pay his own legal bills after he was charged with public mischief last week.

Thousands have signed a petition calling for the mayor of Surrey, B.C., to pay his own legal bills after he was charged with public mischief last week.

The online petition has gathered more than 4,500 signatures and was circulated after the B.C. Prosecution Service announced a single criminal count against Mayor Doug McCallum. That charge, announced last Friday, stemmed from an investigation prompted by the mayor's own complaint.

After that charge was announced, City of Surrey staff included in an email to CTV News Vancouver the local indemnification bylaw, which says the city will "indemnify its Municipal Officials against payment of amounts required or incurred to defend an action, prosecution or claim brought against" them.

"It is completely inappropriate for Mr. McCallum to use hard earned taxpayer funds to defend himself in court on a personal matter," the petition says. "This is a total abuse of his position and needs to be stopped."

The investigation began after McCallum made a complaint following an incident outside a supermarket. Members of the Surrey Police Vote campaign were gathering signatures on a petition to stop the city's transition from an RCMP detachment to a municipal police force.

McCallum alleged one member in a Ford Mustang intentionally drove into him, prompting an RCMP investigation.

Special prosecutor Richard Fowler was appointed to the case to "avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice," the B.C. Prosecution Service said. Fowler ultimately approved the charge against McCallum.