Today I am announcing that I will be running as an independent for Mayor of the Township of Langley in the Municipal Election to be held Saturday November 15th, 2014. While very happy in retirement with no plan of getting back into politics my decision to do so is in response to numerous requests I have received from all areas of the Township of Langley. This decision has been made only after careful and long reflection and discussion with my family; my decision to run is also in response to the devastating decisions made by our current Mayor and Council and the negative affect those decisions are having and will have on our community.
Carol and I have lived in the Township for over 17 years; we have been married for over 47 years, have three grown children who live in the Township and we have four grandchildren. It is well documented that I am an enthusiastic free enterpriser. The wide-spread community support and encouragement I have received to run for Mayor is very broad based throughout the Township who have identified themselves as the “Citizens to Re-Elect Rick Green for Mayor”. We sincerely appreciate that support and fully understand why residents want change, REAL Change!
After the last election I was prepared for retirement and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with family and working around our property. I was willing just to sit back and observe from a distance how this Council would operate and deal with the issues of the day. It only took about ten months for me to feel the need to do my part through a community BLOG designed to inform Township residents about what is really going on at their Council table. Since the end of this Council’s first year it has been no secret that there has been an endless number of community based controversies over decisions this council was making on a weekly basis. Observing the actions of Mayor and Council and seeing the absolute frustration on the part of taxpayers and their collective communities, I have reached the point where I cannot sit back and observe any longer without doing something about it. Again I am responding to the urging of a large number of taxpayers who have had enough!
There is a tendency to place our trust in Council members elected to represent us. Although these representatives are elected to look after our best interests, in the case of the majority of current Township of Langley Council they have fatally broken that trust. We need effective REAL Change –
I am committed to changing the way our communities are being treated and the endless number of questionable deals and decisions being made behind closed doors that suffer from a complete lack of transparency and due process. A special deal for friends and insiders comes to mind.
Who is to blame? The blame has to lie squarely at the feet of Mayor Froese and his majority on this Council who have clearly gone past their best before date. Mayor Froese has shown a complete lack of leadership on a variety of issues. It is the Mayor and Council’s responsibility to provide strong and effective leadership for staff in the areas of fiscal responsibility, accountability and Community Vision. The Mayor of the Township must set the course and lead council and staff toward initiatives that will serve the best interests of residents and taxpayers, embracing community input and LISTENING TO THAT COMMUNITY INPUT! Listening to the Mayor’s own words, he doesn’t believe in the public’s right to be heard and listened to.
I have operated my own business with a million dollar payroll, served on many boards both elected and appointed in the private and public sector and served as an Alderman in Delta and Mayor in the Township of Langley (Curriculum Vitae is available)
My experience in Municipal government gives me a unique perspective in terms of evaluating the performance of this council. It is time for REAL Change!
Why are we seeing so many poor decisions that are costing our communities and taxpayers significantly? This cost comes not only in dollars and cents but in quality of life and livability. What has become so blatantly clear to all is that this Mayor and Council have NO respect for public input.
So what are some of the issues?
WILL NOT LISTEN TO RESIDENTS / TAXPAYERS – In what has become a sad reflection on local democracy and governance, the only avenue available to residents (Public Hearings and Petitions) to communicate their interests or concerns to their elected Council have been publicly denied. The Mayor is on record that HE DOES NOT make decisions based on Public Hearing presentations and petitions! Examples of not listening? Coulter Berry Fort Langley, Athenry, Willoughby Development i.e. Forewest and more, Brookswood, Aldergrove and Glen Valley – It just doesn’t quit!
Approving a 69 unit Wall Townhouse Development in the middle of Prime Agricultural land.
Approving the Forewest Development, a multi-unit, multi floor and multi Condominium building development in a community that had to be re-zoned from single family!
NO ACCEPTABLE COMMUNITY PLANNING – Despite very high levels of community and public anger we continue to embrace top down planning with Community involvement and collaboration absent from the process.
Out of control Taxpayer funded subsidy of over $32,000,000, Capital and Operating over 4 ½ years for the Langley Events Center, over $11,000,000 during the last year alone! These are from the Township’s own numbers!
Building a $7.5 million expansion to the Langley Events Center without any public input, public need or public announcement until six weeks after construction started. Transparency doesn’t appear to be important in the Township of Langley.
The majority of this Council purchased a Golf Course and a Fort Langley Restaurant with real extrapolated costs estimated to be over $12 million… Why?
Buying property from Trinity University paying 80% over assessed value, an additional $1.2 million of your tax dollars.
Very Questionable Land Deals (Sales) that lack any form of public transparency that can only lead to public suspicion and mistrust with their Elected Municipal Council ranging from selling ¾ of an acre for $12,000 to the Dickson Pit sale for $2 million.
What are my plans? What is my Platform?
Throughout the course of the last couple of years I have had ample time to sit back and observe the irresponsible actions of this Municipal Government. While I have had the time to consider what I would do, I never considered that it was something I would undertake until now! While considering my plans going forward I have identified a very comprehensive platform surrounding the issue of how to put the Township back on track and re-establish public confidence in their municipal government. My platform will be announced as we get into the election period; however as a general statement I offer the following:
With the support of a NEW Municipal Council we will review and address the public angst on the many public issues surrounding loss of protection of our Community Heritage Value, No Community in Community Planning, questionable property purchases (Your tax dollars), questionable property transactions (Your property portfolio asset value), debt, taxation, projects over-budget and Langley Events Center Subsidies, Operational Costs and facility use contracts that are in place.
It is important to understand that as an independent (all councilors and the Mayor claim to have been in the recent past) changes will only happen with the support of the majority of the elected council. I believe that my plans for sound management of the Township will be supported by any and all clear thinking elected councilors and I am committed, willing and able to work with all councilors that are elected and embrace their willing contribution and participation going forward. I sincerely tried to do that during my three year term but resistance on their part failed the taxpayer.
How satisfied are you? IT IS TIME FOR REAL CHANGE! It is time to start ensuring the Township of Langley will be the community of choice in the Lower Mainland. At no time in our history, with the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy, have the development pressures been greater and the land use decisions been more acute. Working together we can build a community that respects individual opinion and values community input. Working together we can expedite economic development activities building a much stronger commercial and industrial tax base. Working together we can involve interested members of the community on Council Advisory, Standing and Select Committees as well as Task Forces that are established with clear objectives in mind focused on community improvement. Community members of those committees should feel valued offering their expertise and commitment of time. We can achieve this by setting priorities that meet our taxpayer’s community and fiscal expectations. To build the community I talk about we need to bring about change in the Mayor`s office and CHANGE THAT WORKS! IT IS TIME…. IT IS TIME FOR REAL CHANGE!
I am asking for your support November 15th, 2014 for sound, strong and fiscally responsible leadership for the Township of Langley and for a Mayor that has proven he listens and fights hard for YOU the taxpayer.
Sincerely
W. R. Rick Green
Candidate for Mayor
Township of Langley
Mayor 2008 – 20113.+ick Green 604 607-7338 Cell 604 309-7795 email at rgreen@rickgreenformayor.ca or my website at www.rickgreenformayor.ca for a detailed platform and campaign information.
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