langleywatchdog…. and more!

Election campaigns can bring out the worst in people, it is unfortunate. It is human nature to make your arguments using material that supports your narrative; however, using incessant LIES, personal assumptions as facts, innuendo, and scare tactics is outrageous. All of this under the direction of a prominent local developer in the formation of their campaign platform cannot be accepted! When a politician knowingly LIES, that is a deal breaker for me! The Township of Langley has been living in that corrupt world for decades to the detriment of the Township of Langley, prior to the current council majority taking office, we cannot go back! Relying on my 51 years of political experience, municipal, provincial and federal – as an elected Mayor (Township of Langley), Alderman (Delta), a three term appointed Police Board member by Premier Bill Bennett (Delta), Metro Van. Director and Municipal Finance Authority Alt. Director, and numerous Metro Van. Committees! I try to lay out the facts and the truth as I have investigated and experienced throughout my political career.

The Big LIE! – 5 Year Financial Plan Claim of 21.7% Tax Increase next year?

An absolute Bogus Claim, the public deserve better! – I viewed Council’s debate, discussion and vote on this issue at the March 9^th and March 23^rd Council meetings. Unbelievable! Councillor Richter (7 terms on Council), Councillor Whitmarsh (8 1/2 years on Council) and Councillor Kunst (8 years on Council) know better, they are either lying to the public or should not be in office due to lack of knowledge of the B.C. Government provincially mandated annual 5-year Financial Plan process. They continue to imply the projected property tax increases within the 5-year Financial Plan will be a reality when they know (or should know) based on their years of experience, they won’t be.

FACT: 5-year Financial Plans are legislated by the province, they state “An expenditure that is not provided for in the 2026 – 2030 5-year Financial Plan (in this case) is NOT lawful” – thus the need to cover any and all eventualities, which again has never become a reality!

FACT – Projected tax rates within the 5-year Financial Plan are projected based on input from staff, council debate and assorted wish lists. This year’s property tax increase was 3.97%. A 5-year Financial Plan is created annually, dropping a year and adding a year. As stated, it is a product of incorporating anything and everything possible, yet to be discussed, debated or approved!

The Big LIE – CACs (Community Amenity Contributions) are illegal!

Proof of that LIE? The Township of Langley has collected millions of dollars in CACs since the infamous court decision the opposition like to refer to. That court ruling about CACs was directed at a 2018 Council Policy inherited by the current council being too prescriptive, not about Community Amenity Contributions themselves. The Township fixed it, and they continue to collect voluntary CAC contributions from developers in support of the current infrastructure crisis, saving property tax payers a significant amount of money!

Fact: CACs (Community Amenity Contributions) are NOT illegal!

The opposition are on record as opposing CACs. In other words, their policy is to have existing property tax payer’s foot the bill for needed infrastructure as opposed to the policy of “Progress for Langley” – Growth must pay for Growth! Clearly, the opposition supported by developers have sold out the residents of the Township of Langley. It is estimated that if the current opposition to our council are elected it will cost all taxpayers around $200 million in lost CACs which would go to pay off our debts and build the necessary infrastructure.

Every dollar that taxpayers secure from TOL growth funds amenities our community needs. It also pays down debt for amenity capital projects so that debt doesn’t land on taxpayers. Let’s be clear, the two people that launched this lawsuit did not sue the mayor; they sued you the taxpayer. These individuals are refusing to contribute to Langley’s future. Growth must pay for growth, not taxpayers. Progress for Langley is the only team running for Council, that believes that, stands up for it, understands it, and puts residents first.

Fact: Our Township Infrastructure Crisis was created by the actions & inactions of our previous councils over 11 years with a pro developer bias – 3 councillors from that era are still sitting in opposition on council, Richter, Whitmarsh and Kunst!

Our population started to explode from 2011; specifically, councils never ending approval of residential development over the next 11 years without a dollar being spent on critical infrastructure. All of this approved growth in population secured the crisis we all face today.

Let the facts speak for themselves: The following population numbers; the anticipated growth in Willoughby alone is carrying the bulk of the development pressure, it holds the majority of available developable land in the Township.

• Willoughby population 2011 – was 20,000 residents
• Willoughby population 2026 – is 60,000 residents (+40,000 residents since 2011)
• Willoughby population est. 2031 – 95,000 residents (+30,000 residents)

• Only 53% of the available developable land in Willoughby has been built out as of 2025! There will be significant pressure for significant future growth.

• 1,000 new students are entering our School District annually, largely concentrated in the Willoughby area!

• Township of Langley Total Population 2026 – est. 170,000 residents (+65,823 since 2011), the fastest growing municipality in the lower mainland.

The Township of Langley finally introduced a minimal CAC program in 2018. It wasn’t until the election of Mayor Woodward and his majority on council in 202, they passed an upgraded and competitive CAC program. It was designed to make development Pay for Growth, something the opposition explicitly opposes. The opposition are campaigning on a “Pay as you Grow” philosophy. Unfortunately, due to the crisis facing the Township that doesn’t work unless you believe that you should pay for the infrastructure crisis out of your annual property tax bill. NO CACs from developers, you pay the bill on your property taxes!

It has been roughly estimated that by the Jack Froese Municipal Government NOT implementing a common-sense CAC program back in 2011 as proposed by Mayor Rick Green, it has cost the Township of Langley and its taxpayers about $500 million (all development in the TOL) during this period.

In the words of our very popular Prime Minister Mark Carney –

“When elected you Face the world as you found it, NOT the way you wish it was”!

The Big LIE – Infrastructure can be built through Pay as you Grow? As I have outlined in detail, we are in an existential infrastructure crisis due to the deplorable inactions of previous councils. Endless residential development approvals since 2011 without adoption of a CAC funding program and an annually upgraded DCC program (Cost of living increase). The infrastructure we are talking about? Road expansion, police services, fire services, park expansion and recreation facilities, ALL needed to adequately service the current explosion of 60,000 NEW residents, and many more to come! There are only two ways you can pay for the infrastructure improvement needed to look after the services needed. Either

1. Pay for infrastructure through increased annual property taxes or
2. Make development pay for the infrastructure growth required to look after the infrastructure needed to service the approved growth?

If you think Pay as you Grow works think about the increases in property tax that would be required to in any way supplant (replace) CACs – Development paying for that infrastructure IF that council prioritized the required infrastructure. The other very real possibility, based on their platform, they will not prioritize the infrastructure needed and the community will deteriorate in the services and infrastructure required.

The Big LIE – Township of Langley Debt has reached a crisis? First, let’s deal with the needed use of responsible debt to service the crisis we are in? In the past, when a CAC program was in place, CACs were collected at the time of approval and construction start. Mayor Woodward and his council, due to the critical infrastructure deficit, have constructed a program using debt by borrowing against future approved (but not started) development CACs which will pay for the debt accrued building the required infrastructure. This allows the TOL to be able to adequately know what funding is available to pay for that debt moving forward, NOT property tax dollars. As to market fluctuations, anyone with an ounce of knowledge of this issue knows that this is normal. The real estate market changes frequently from year to year!

The Big LIE dealing with Township of Langley debt?

The following is from the B.C. Government website dealing with the municipal debt issue. “The Municipal Liabilities Regulation sets the liability service limit at 25% of specific municipal revenues. The revenues used in the calculation relate to those that are primarily within the municipality’s control, such as taxes and fees, unconditional grants and payments in place of taxes.”

So, to specific Township numbers – Township annual revenues are just over $600 million per year. The 25% servicing cost (principal and interest) applies to qualified revenue only which for the TOL is approx. $375 million @ 25% = $93.74 million, the maximum allowed annually to pay for their debt. Currently the Township is currently spending approx. $41 million in annual debt payments, less than half of what is allowed. In addition, they are paying down about $25 million per year against their debt.

Township total debt currently sits at $575 Million which includes $180 million inherited from the previous council. To make it clear the current council is responsible for $395 million. The opposition’s scare tactics suggest the TOL is close to its max debt level, they are not close. That said, Municipal allowed debt per provincial legislation is measured by the 25% servicing cost which is the guiding factor. Our annual audited financial report does not flag any issues of concern.

For the record, Municipalities must adhere to Provincial Legislation. The regulators of Provincial Legislation are the Municipal Finance Authority and Metro Vancouver, protecting the taxpayer against any wrong doing and is strictly enforced.  

Summary: Unadulterated LIES and complete misrepresentation of the truth and facts are uncalled for in any election. Unfortunately, those in opposition in this election seem to want to continue to try lighting a flame based on irresponsible and incorrect accusations. Hopefully, their strategy of spreading lies and misrepresenting the facts won’t pay off, if it does, we will all be paying over $200 million in property tax to pay off debt as opposed to development. Any candidate that practices this use of misinformation should not be considered for Township of Langley Council or Langley School Board!

We have too much of a bad experience going back to the way it was, don’t stop our progress as a community now, we cannot afford developers taking over and dictating council policy.

For continuing “Progress for Langley” on October 17^th Vote

Mayor – Eric Woodward

Council – Tim Baillie, Steve Ferguson, June Park, Michael Pratt, Sarb Rai, Tess Rouse, Rob Rindt, Michelle St. Germain.

Board of Education – Matt Burck, Olivia Lake De Meza, Norma Jean Maxwell,

Betty Siegel, Sean Stevenson

Forward this Blog Post to Friends, neighbors and family. All material and info in this Blog Post has been fact checked and double checked for accuracy!

My most recent BLOG Posts relating to this year’s election are: Click on the following links to open –

• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/04/14/township-of-langley-5-year-financial-plan-you-are-entitled-to-your-own-opinion-but-you-are-not-entitled-to-your-own-facts-politics-at-work/
• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/07/28/upcoming-municipal-election-focusing-on-debt-ignores-the-incompetence-of-past-councils-it-ignores-60000-new-residents-needs-it-ignores-the-critical-lack-of-infrastructure-and-it/
• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/08/09/township-of-langley-politics-decades-of-undue-influence-on-municipal-council-by-the-langley-establishment-power-brokers-friends-insiders-developers-we-are-recovering-a-strong-government-deliver/
• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/08/12/accountability-of-a-municipal-council-what-does-or-should-that-word-accountability-mean-to-the-taxpayer-something-to-really-think-about-before-voting-this-year/
• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/08/09/township-of-langley-politics-decades-of-undue-influence-on-municipal-council-by-the-langley-establishment-power-brokers-friends-insiders-developers-we-are-recovering-a-strong-government-deliver/
• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/08/25/a-real-example-of-responsible-vs-irresponsible-governance-207th-and-207a-it-seriously-affected-an-est-2000-residents-in-the-township/  
• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/09/14/willoughby-community-center-pool-willoughby-and-walnut-grove-do-you-want-it-we-have-one-choice-in-this-election-breaking-news-check-it-out/

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay

RG

Obfuscated Political Speech, (Obfuscation is the art of obscuring the intended meaning of communication by making the message difficult to understand, usually with confusing and ambiguous language.) otherwise, “talking a lot, saying little and committing to nothing”. It’s not new in politics, but it is pathetic listening to this year’s opposition slate and independents in the Township of Langley election!  There is only one team of candidates that have planned for and committed to this project, committed to building the infrastructure needed to serve 60,000 NEW residents that have moved into our community in the last 11 years, and having development pay for it; long forgotten by those running in opposition this year!

The choice – the “Progress for Langley” team, that is just a fact! I explain in detail –

A little history, what got us to where we are? During the 2022 municipal election, candidate Eric Woodward and team promised the Willoughby Community Community Center and Pool in addition to a number of projects needed to address a very significant infrastructure deficit, not a dime spent in previous 11 years. Examples? The widening of 208^th Street (delivered), 80^th Ave. (delivered), 5 Arenas at the LEC (delivered), along with a wide variety of other projects throughout the Township of Langley (delivered), and I might add, he focused on how development would pay for them (Not property taxes) – CACs, ACCs – legal, NOT a new concept!

Not long after the election, an initial Community Public Engagement Open House was held for a Willoughby Community Center and Pool! A public engagement open house was held at the Yorkson Creek Middle School and was extremely well attended indicating the community’s critical need for such a facility. The proposed location of the planned Willoughby Community Center and Pool was in the South East section of Yorkson Community Park – across from the Tennis Center. Unfortunately, the Public Engagement Open House identified a significant problem – from the significant turnout and input from residents, it was clear, the planned Community Center and Pool would not fulfill the needs and demands of the community based on the available buildable footprint of land available in this location. So, what is next?

With a clear decision on that location, what next? We will couple it with the long-standing community need to move the Willoughby Elementary School from the corner of 80^th and 208^th – but to where? One thing that has been clear and obvious for years in Willoughby was the need to relocate the Willoughby Elementary School, for numerous reasons, not the least of which is student, parent, and staff safety! This intersection, 80th and 208^th, is easily one of the busiest intersections in Willoughby, only to get busier given the development underway and planned. How out of date are our politicians; I made a statement on Facebook about a year ago; Charlie Fox, current School Trustee (former councillor in the Township) fired back “there was no reason to relocate this school, it had been there for decades”! (what a ridiculous statement) Really Charlie, and the Willoughby population was around 14,000 people in 2011, TODAY 60,000 soon to be 80,000 growing to over 100,000! Must be nice and comfortable living on your farm in South Langley away from such traffic and congestion?

A few facts! The last expansion of the Willoughby Elementary School was in 2000; 4 classrooms were added. In 2004 registration was 345 students; today’s latest number is 657 students with multiple portable classrooms. Prior to Mayor Woodward and his team’s new proposal, the Langley School Board was planning an expansion of this school at this location (unbelievable) and there was no indication of any plans in their just published 10-year plan for any change ie relocation? You can’t make this stuff up?

The NEW Location Plan proposed by Mayor Woodward and his team? It was now up to Mayor and Council to come up with a suitable solution for this major development promised of a Willoughby Community Center and Pool, in a central location, with a property footprint large enough to look after communities identified needs. Plans were prepared for a facility providing for the previously identified community needs plus underground parking. A second Community Public Engagement session was then held at Alex Hope Elementary presenting the new proposal. It was very well attended and the new location was strongly supported! A NEW Willoughby Elementary School would be built on Township of Langley property on the former proposed Community Center site across from the Tennis Center in the South East section of the Yorkson Community Park. (next to 80^th Ave.)

This proposal solves two major problems and issues – 1) The relocation of the Willoughby Elementary School increasing size and moving it to a safe location and 2) Providing the critical need for a Willoughby Community Center and Pool, not only filling the critical need in Willoughby but taking pressure off the Walnut Grove facility.

The proposed financial arrangements to bring this about and make it a reality? As identified, this proposal was put together by the Township of Langley and presented to the Langley School District and the Government of British Columbia.

It was proposed by the Township of Langley; they would donate their land in the Yorkson Community Park (South East corner next to 80^th) for the new school (No cost to the Province or School Board) and the Township of Langley would then purchase the old Willoughby Elementary School site which would pay for the construction of the NEW Willoughby Elementary School. After thorough and in-depth discussions and negotiations with ALL parties an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) was concluded and signed off by all parties. In all respects, this is a very good deal for the taxpayers of the Township of Langley and the Langley School District.

Problem? All of this was concluded months ago, with a prepared firm contract / agreement prepared for signing by ALL parties. Our School Board have stone walled the sign off of this agreement for a number of months, in particular not dealing with it prior to the election currently underway. They are playing a political game which is detrimental to Township of Langley residents. Remember the Obfuscated Political Speech I talked about? Don’t take my word for it – In the words of Sarb Rai, current Langley School Trustee (Now Progress for Langley Candidate for Council) who has seen and heard the reality, being involved in meetings at the School District level – Quote “They continue to stall, delay, and prevent the land deal at Willoughby Elementary”! The majority on our school board are responsible for the delay in moving this much needed and wanted project forward through politically motivated delay tactics.

BREAKING NEWS – Proof? – The just released platform of the opposition slate in this year’s election state they will operate on a pay as you grow philosophy? The only conclusion you can draw from their platform; they are going back to the Jack Froese dark decade, approving developments while ignoring community infrastructure need due to their irresponsible actions, approving developments without spending a dime on infrastructure! Who is funding their campaign – developers? Is their plan to cease upgrading DCCs annually? Will they stop or reduce the amount of CACs and ACCs being collected as a favor to developers? Is that what they have promised developers? Their platform raises many questions!

The Willoughby Community Center and Pool will not be built until at least 2040 or later at best – Do you want to wait 14+ years? I don’t!

A reading of their platform is full of Obfuscated Political Speech, making it an artform, “talking a lot, saying little and committing to nothing”! A complete lack of understanding of what it takes to manage and run a municipality facing a critical infrastructure deficit thanks to a very dark decade of inaction, a few that are responsible, are running with the opposition slate – Whitmarsh, Richter and Kunst!

Question – Would 208^th and 80^th be widened if they were in charge – NOT!

What do we have to do to make a Willoughby Community Center and Pool a reality? We have ONE Choice – Vote the Progress for Langley team for Township of Langley Council and Board of Education!!

Mayor – Eric Woodward

Council – Tim Baillie, Steve Ferguson, June Park, Michael Pratt, Sarb Rai, Tess Rouse, Rob Rindt, Michelle St. Germain.

Board of Education – Matt Burck, Olivia Lake De Meza, Norma Jean Maxwell, Betty Siegel, Sean Stevenson

When you get elected?

“You Face the world how you found it, NOT the way you wish it was”!

Share this email / BLOG; forward to friends, neighbors and relatives!

My most recent BLOG Posts relating to this year’s election are: Click on the following links to open –

• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/04/14/township-of-langley-5-year-financial-plan-you-are-entitled-to-your-own-opinion-but-you-are-not-entitled-to-your-own-facts-politics-at-work/
• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/07/28/upcoming-municipal-election-focusing-on-debt-ignores-the-incompetence-of-past-councils-it-ignores-60000-new-residents-needs-it-ignores-the-critical-lack-of-infrastructure-and-it/
• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/08/09/township-of-langley-politics-decades-of-undue-influence-on-municipal-council-by-the-langley-establishment-power-brokers-friends-insiders-developers-we-are-recovering-a-strong-government-deliver/
• https://langleywatchdog.com/2026/08/12/accountability-of-a-municipal-council-what-does-or-should-that-word-accountability-mean-to-the-taxpayer-something-to-really-think-about-before-voting-this-year/

RG

Protect your Democratic Rights – Protect your NEIGHBORS Democratic Rights – stay informed, stay involved and VOTE!!!

I am working on future posts that I believe are of significant concern to Township of Langley Residents, come back often for news of interest to Township residents.