Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum is expected to appear in provincial court today.
McCallum was charged with public mischief after alleging a vehicle drove over his foot at a grocery store parking lot in September.
McCallum’s first appearance in Surrey provincial court is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday. It is unclear if the mayor will attend in person, via phone, or have his lawyer Richard Peck represent him in the initial court proceeding.
The mayor said he was at the grocery store to get groceries when he got into a verbal altercation with some members of the group. He then alleged a woman in a Mustang drove over his foot and that he went to hospital to get an X-ray done on his injured foot.
The mayor’s office has not said how he plans to plead to the public mischief charge. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
The City of Surrey has confirmed it will cover the mayor’s legal fees under a city bylaw that covers claims against city employees and council members arising out of the performance of their duties. The group Surrey Police Vote, which is calling for a referendum to decide the future of policing in Surrey, said taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for McCallum’s legal costs. It is urging the mayor to publicly disclose how much the city will be shelling out for his court battle.
