Join a Committee, Commission or Board

• Applicants must not be employed by the City of Surrey.  
• Review the Terms of Reference for specific appointment requirements such as residency and involvement in the industry that is the essence of the committee.  In general, an applicant should have experience or expertise that relates to the committee and its mandate.
• Applicants should be able to attend regular meetings and serve the full term of the appointment.  Committee appointments can range from 1-3 years.  Review the Terms of Reference for the term length and the committee schedule and meeting time prior to applying.
• Review the Terms of Reference or applicable information package for any additional criteria.

These are volunteer positions. Successful candidates serve without compensation.

Joining a committee, commission or board is not equal to – and does not lead to – employment at the City of Surrey.

In general, Council solicits applications for committee vacancies in the fall each year.  However, Council may seek applications at any point during the year should a vacancy arise. 

Applications are received and processed by the City Clerk's Office.  Council reviews applications and appoints members.  Copies of all applications are made available to Surrey City Council, City staff and the Surrey Public Library Board for the sole purpose of making appointments and communicating with applicants.  All appointments are publicly announced at a Regular Council meeting and all applicants will be advised of Council's decision.

Personal information is collected under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for this purpose and for contacting appointed persons with information regarding meetings.

Committee members are expected to:

• Attend monthly meetings and review agenda packages prior to the meeting.  This can equal anywhere from 2 to 10 hours per month.  In general, most committees meet 6 to 10 times per year, in the late afternoon or evening.  

• Participate and engage in discussion and the decision making process.  

• Identify and declare any conflicts of interest they may have regarding agenda items or discussion during a meeting.  The committee member is expected to recuse themselves and leave the meeting for the duration of that agenda item or discussion, in order to not influence any decisions made on the matter.

• Maintain confidentiality.

Committee meeting agendas are posted weekly on the City's website. 

All Committee meetings are open to the public, unless authorized to be closed as per Section 90(1) or (2) of the Community Charter.  However, members of the public do not have an opportunity to speak during meetings.

If you are interested in presenting a topic to a specific committee, please submit a delegation request form.