langleywatchdog…. and more!

Being elected and serving your community on a Municipal Council is a significant responsibility that brings with it some serious sole searching in the decisions you are tasked to make on behalf of all taxpayers. Whether you run as an independent or as part of a team of like-minded candidates there will always be differences of opinion among all members of Council, (I know, I have been a part of both) however respect and decorum are essential for a well-run Council. Debate and difference of opinion is good and healthy, it is how you deal with it at the Council table with ALL members of Council that is important showing respect for all!

So, to a key question to all members of Council that should be asked – why did you run for Council? For most, in my experience, with the exclusion of many I have had to work with or who I have observed on our Township of Langley Council, normally elected members have priorities on what they want to accomplish? Unfortunately, during the past couple of decades Township of Langley Council has been populated by those being directed by outside forces, I have written about much of this in past BLOG Posts. What has gone on over the last couple of decades in the Township of Langley is hard to imagine or believe, but it is true as I found out.

To the point above, it is called finding your “RELEVANCE” as a sitting member of Council!

The worst situation that a sitting member of Council can find themselves in, is being branded IRRELEVANT! However, that is exactly the position that Councillor Richter finds herself in, it isn’t something that just happened, based on her performance over the last few decades she has been irrelevant for years – in my opinion!

This BLOG Post has been a long time in coming, God knows there has been a considerable amount of material to support my view over the past 16 years, since I first met her. Yes, I know she has been seen by some as the conscience of Council since first being elected in 1999. In reality nothing could be further from the truth if you really follow her actions at the council table. What has she accomplished other than dysfunction?

An opposing view during debate is good, an opposing view for the sake of opposing and being a constant disruptive voice on Council for purely political reasons is quite something else. The well publicized Township of Langley Council dysfunction over a number of years has had a number of contributors and guilty parties; however, there is a “Common Denominator”.

It has been well known that through the tenures of Mayors Kurt Alberts, Rick Green, Jack Froese and now Eric Woodward, Kim Richter has been a very difficult member of council to work with, in the opinion of many. It is not about disagreeing; it is about being disagreeable and disruptive. It is about a non-constructive participant within the body of council!

Why on a long list of issues over the years has she not argued vociferously to reach a final conclusion on an issue that raised her ire; she will ask a question on an issue but never follows up as though the theatrics of asking the question was her only interest in the issue? It is the theatrics of asking a question being her only purpose, she hopes those observing the meeting will think she knows what she is talking about.

A quiet negative vote on council while she is trying to calculate the direction of the political winds on many issues just doesn’t cut it.

Just in my term (2008 – 11) there was the introduction of Community Amenity Contributions (CACs), the Mufford Crescent Diversion, Landfill on Agricultural Land, Athenry, and the Langley Events Center financial boondoggle among so many others. OH yes and there was her appointment to my “Mayors Standing Committee of Finance”, her silence was deafening!

Where was she when we were going through many of those fights? The list is long and significant, I could write this whole BLOG Post on everything pre the 2022 election, but I digress.

So, to the issues immediately at hand, just in the first year of the current council? After watching most if not all Council meetings in the first year of our current council, I cannot sit back any longer without speaking up. Watching her repeatedly ask questions of staff, on many procedural issues that she knows the answers to; after all she has been on council for 23 years. Her posturing to the audience in chambers and on live-stream is nothing more than theatrics designed to try to impress.

First – Constant fight at the Council table as to the current council moving forward on their promises to build the infrastructure long ignored by previous councils which she has been a part of going back a couple of decades!

The current Council majority under Mayor Eric Woodward ran on a platform of not only building the infrastructure, long ignored by previous Councils as they continued to approve development in the Township; he spelled out their plan as to how this investment in infrastructure was going to be paid for; development would finally pay for itself, but no, Kim Richter continues to object.

A big part of this council’s plan was the introduction of a competitive CAC program and an annual review of Development Cost Charges (DCCs). These plans were well presented during the last election and anyone who has been on council as long as Councillor Richter has, knows how that works, only too well. While Kim Richter was only one member of past councils, in 2008 as Mayor I introduced CACs to the Council of the day through a couple of seminars put on by the then Manager of Real Estate Services for the City of Vancouver with respect to their very successful CAC program. A review of my previous BLOG Post tells the story of what has been missed to the detriment of all citizens of the Township of Langley since 2009. She has to take responsibility for not publicly exposing and dealing with the reality of no CACs and the lack of annual updates in the DCC program over so many years.

Her making noise is all about politics, and not about real issues. She has done this consistently since day one. It is all about theatre! In my last BLOG we pointed out that the Township taxpayer has lost out on an estimated $500 million minimum in lost CAC dollars and a $200 million shortfall in DCCs, for a total of approximately $700 million, that bill put on the backs of taxpayers, until now. This was all due to the inaction of past councils of which she was a member.

In one year, our current council has raised an estimated $150 million (with much more to come); on developments that they have approved since taking office, only after their relevant CAC program and updated DCCs were put in place. Those funds will go to pay for the infrastructure that has recently been approved which Kim Richter has voted against, in the majority of cases.

Second – During this year’s wild-fire crisis Municipalities and Cities throughout our province offered up fire-fighting equipment and personnel in an unequalled crisis affecting every area of our province. The Township of Langley did their part by sending a truck and crew to the interior to assist in that fight. In what I consider to be an unbelievable public statement, Councillor Richter, in a Facebook post challenged the Mayor, asking who authorized that contribution? This comment, despite the fact that there was a provincial state of emergency, is incomprehensible; I guess it tells us a lot about the person responsible for making that statement.

Third – Transit in and out of the Gloucester Industrial Park is non-existent; this argument goes back a few decades despite the fact all companies in Gloucester pay a substantial sum of money (In 2011 about $1.6 million annually) to TransLink as a part of their property taxes. To the best of my knowledge, I was the first to bring this issue up as Mayor and member of the TransLink Mayor’s Council (2008 – 11). I set up a meeting in March of 2011 for all companies operating in Gloucester, in the General Motors Board Room. Attending in addition to a large turnout of Gloucester and Aldergrove Businesses were two executives from TransLink, Councillor Richter and local media. The result coming out of that meeting, agreed to by all was that we would do an extensive survey of Gloucester companies and the town of Aldergrove to present to TransLink. To speed up that process I agreed that the Township of Langley would have an extensive survey conducted dealing with our transit deficit. Going back to Council to get approval, one Kim Richter was responsible for arguing against us paying for it, which, given the lack of support I had on Council that initiative died at the council table.

So to today on that issue, which she knows all about only too well, I was shocked to see Councillor Kim Richter opposing a recent motion by the current council to advocate to TransLink and/or the Provincial Government for a transit service or to transfer the currently collected TransLink tax portion of their property tax (now approximately $2.5 million annually) to another agency to provide that service. Imagine paying that amount for a service that you have never received? The motion was passed by Council, thankfully – Councillor Richter opposed.

Summary –

It just doesn’t end! This is not about controlling debate and/or any opposition, it is about how to handle yourself at the council table using common sense and being courteous to all.

When I was elected in 2008 against the odds of many, I arranged to meet with all members of Council for a coffee just to get to know each other before being sworn in. I remember saying at the outset of our individual meetings that they probably didn’t want me to be elected and like-wise with me about them but we are all elected to work in the best interest of our residents. I also remember saying that we can disagree without being disagreeable – Well so much for that effort, it went downhill from there.

All of that being said, it doesn’t take much on council to alienate yourself from the majority, and Councillor Richter continues to lead that parade, something that should embarrass her, but then again it probably does not!   

RG

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

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

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors, and relatives!To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

vs the RECENT DARK DECADE and longer! A Brighter Light is now Shining, Elections have consequences good or bad!

A true measurement of a politician or politicians on your municipal council is how are they performing vis a vis the previous council and the platform promises they made. As far as a comparison to the previous council is concerned, a light has been turned on for the public; as far as delivering on their platform promises are concerned, while early (1 year in on a 4-year term) their early performance is a breath of fresh air! Yes, I endorsed Eric Woodward and his team plus Michael Pratt for Council in the last election, have I agreed with all decisions, no, BUT then again that was never going to happen, no matter who got elected which is as it should be! On balance so far, they are doing very well in my opinion.       

I cannot write this post without talking about the Dark Decade and longer that we have just come through, in the Township of Langley!

A brief history – My family moved to the Township of Langley in 1996 after 29 years living in North Delta and owning a large business in Tsawwassen. I spent 22 years heavily invested in politics, elected, and being an activist plus extensive community committee involvement. Our move to Langley was great, buying our property, raising and showing our horses coupled with a promise to my wife that I was done with politics. That promise lasted for about 10 years, BUT after observing a number of issues in the Township, I couldn’t resist, I ran for Mayor, and was elected November 15^th, 2008. Be careful what you wish for, what I knew before getting elected, paled in comparison to what I found after being sworn in.

The issues were extremely significant back then, in short, the Township of Langley had been run, and controlled by friends and insiders of those in elected office over many many years. Those involved during this period of time were known quietly by many of us as the Langley Mafia.  Dispute that? There was just too much evidence on what was really going on, as I have written in this BLOG.

This BLOG was initiated back in January of 2013, after giving then Mayor Jack Froese one year to prove his worth. He failed in spades with a continuing do nothing, see nothing, say nothing administration, the same as what went on before my term. A review of over 150 posts in this BLOG’s history deals with a multitude of Township of Langley issues over the last 10 years. Frankly if it wasn’t so serious it would be a joke. I still ask myself how any of this was possible?

So why do I say the “Dark Decade”?

In 2008 it was apparent that the Township of Langley was facing an explosion in population, due to so much available and developable land in a municipality within Metro Vancouver, specifically Willoughby. In 2008 the Township of Langley had a population of about 107,000 with the actual Willoughby population in the 17,000 range. It was the focus of numerous community planning initiatives and development applications back then, but that was just the start. It has been supercharged ever since. It was, and in some ways still is the wild west in property development!

The Problem? – It is one thing to approve a development, but it is quite something else to deal up front with the planning necessary to include, who is going to pay for the community infrastructure necessary to support the incoming population? To be clear, development does not pay for itself, it never has. By way of the old Municipal Act and the relatively NEW Community Charter, developers are required to pay for DCCs (Development Cost Charges). DCC assessments are approved by council designed to fund localized sewer, water, road, sidewalk and lighting infrastructure. They can only be used for limited purposes per its provincial legislation. It is common sense that DCC rates should be increased annually, due to inflation, if nothing else, however this was not being done on an annual basis in the Township.

Checking on DCC increases by the Jack Froese government? They didn’t raise DCCs between 2012 and 2020 – An estimate of lost dollars – $200 million. You the taxpayer paid that bill!

All of this meant that when the time came for the Township to contract and put in the infrastructure the money was secured to pay for, the municipality was spending money year(s) after at an inflated rate due to cost increases over that period of time. Therefore, you were having to spend more money than what was collected from the developers to provide the infrastructure that was planned. You the taxpayer ended up paying for the shortfall. It was wrong but had been allowed to continue. That thinking has ended with our new council.

So, who was the previous council thinking was going to pay for all of the supporting infrastructure? First of all, by all accounts they didn’t have a plan at all. Fire Halls their infrastructure plus staffing, Police Offices their infrastructure plus staffing, Community Centers, Pools, Dry Floor arenas, Ice Arenas, State-of-the-art active parks, passive parks, Fields, pre-development major road infrastructure like 208^th Street and so much more?

You The taxpayer have been paying for the shortfall!!!!

There are only two choices as to who will pay for the supporting infrastructure that is required to support the population that moves into all of that council approved development, you the taxpayer OR the developer! Well, it was a massive failure by past councils; that cost inevitably landed on the back of Township of Langley taxpayers to the benefit of developers. Past administrations in the Township of Langley had very tight connections to the development community.

In 2009 I presented my council with a solution to this significant problem as I saw it – Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) but they didn’t see it my way, why? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out!

Recognizing this problem among many, I made CACs (Community Amenity Contributions) an issue during my campaign of 2008. After the election I brought in Bruce Maitland a well- respected retired Manager of the City of Vancouver Real Estate Services who was very well versed on the CAC issue. Bruce and his wife live in the Willoughby community.

His primary task at the time was to conduct a seminar for all Council members to understand the Vancouver CAC program (Vancouver originated the idea which had been court tested) to explain in detail what was involved and why it was such a benefit. Well, NOT for my council!

I will never forget the action of one councillor, who is still on Council I might add (3 guesses and the first two don’t count – LOL). That individual stood up in the middle of the seminar and blurted out – that is fine for Vancouver, but we don’t do that in the Township of Langley! The stupidity of such a statement is mind boggling! So why did the council of the day reject such an idea – one can only assume that friendship with the development community meant more than the impact on you the residential and business taxpayer.

So, what was the impact of that decision by the 2008 – 2011 Council and the intransigence of Jack Froese and his Council over the past 10 years to continue with such an irresponsible anti CAC policy? NOTE – His council brought in a relatively insignificant CAC by-law in 2018 (very low by any comparative standards to surrounding municipalities) which didn’t take effect until sometime in 2019 with a few small payments made late in 2019.

So, what was the cost of rejecting such a valuable development by-law opportunity in 2009? Think of all of the residential and business development that has taken place in the Township of Langley over the past 14 years? Think of the development just in Willoughby alone? So, what are the numbers? I have watched council quite closely since their swearing in last year. I have tracked their move and implementation of a competitive CAC by-law and their actions with development applications including those that were able to be brought back to review by the new council.

Prior to the current council’s election, Willoughby has had about 40% development approved virtually no or very limited return to the Township of Langley via the old CAC program. So, to be clear 40% or more of Willoughby has been allowed to be developed without contributing a single dime towards the current and justified campaign to bring our communities up to a safe, livable and enjoyable community standard. Willoughby’s population is now over 50,000 probably half way to its built-out number.

What has been achieved by the new council should make all of us very pleased that we have the majority on council who have a vision on what has been needed and how to pay for it. There will be borrowing – however amendments have been made to the CAC program to be able to pay off certain debt when the monies are collected from approved developments.

It is estimated that this council has generated, in less than one year, about $150 Million in CACs. This is a small amount of what will be coming to the Township through CACs as the Willoughby area is built out not counting development in other parts of the Township of Langley. Now, that money has not all been collected yet, which is why there has been the need for borrowing against dedicated CAC revenue payable to the Township of Langley. Some of the improvements like the widening of 208^th street will be funded through borrowing against future DCCs coming from property development on both sides of 208^th Street.

How much have we allowed to slip through our fingers through the inaction of numerous previous councils since 2008?

How about a minimum of $500 million in lost dollars?

Add to that a $200 million shortfall in DCCs you get a $700 million bill to taxpayers.

Think of what that that money could have been used for?

Call me a liar, but it would probably be greater than the amount above!

A big thank you to the Township of Langley majority on Council for their vision and pro-active decisions. There is no question that this council has had to play catch up due to the irresponsible series of municipal governments that we have had in the Township of Langley. The necessary decisions are finally being made through a responsible developer paid funding initiative for the necessary and essential community amenities for safety, recreation and livability.

PS – I say the majority on council because there is certainly a long term exception to that on council, I will deal with that issue in a future post.

RG

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

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

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors, and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

So the Langley Advance headlines read – 7.29% tax hike suggested by staff, Council calling for a tax increase of 4%! As somebody who has been there, nothing has changed! Staff, for the most part create the process that will best justify their wishes, control of the process, and the result. All of this brings me back to my first budget process after my election as Mayor of the Township of Langley in November of 2008 – an eye opening experience, one that you had to see to believe! My implementation of a “Mayor’s Standing Committee of Finance” faced the focus of staff behind the scenes with undue influence and obstruction and the then Municipal Council’s public outrage to the Standing Committees creation. I had appointed the then retired managing Director of BDO Dunwoody, a just retired Federal tax auditor and a local lawyer (all volunteers) and three Council members to the committee. This committee was set up per the Mayor’s authority under the guidelines of the Community Charter. We learned a lot about the facts behind Municipal budgeting through this process and what really goes on.

Some History from my term as Mayor – The Council of the day decided, because they strongly objected to the creation of a “Mayor’s Standing Committee of Finance”, that they would NOT participate in any budget discussions and would leave it to the Standing Committee to submit a report to Council. For the record all members of Council were invited to attend the Standing Committee meetings, but to no avail. We were very open in looking at Zero based budgeting to which Mark Bakken, our CAO noted in one of our first meetings “we practice a form of Zero based budgeting”! Message to Mark Bakken at the time – there is no such thing, it is Zero based OR it is NOT.

After about 3 ½ months of long, very frequent and very involved detailed budget discussion meetings with committee members, staff, and department heads – a department by department, line by line analysis of the provisional budget proposed by staff occurred. I have been lead to believe this kind of analysis had never been undertaken before by and/or for any previous Council and you can bet it hasn’t happened since. A final report was then presented to Council.

The result – A Standing Committee of Finance Report was submitted. It was lengthy but in the final analysis, fully explained it recommended a tax increase of 1%. In a motion put forward by Councillor Bateman immediately after the committees presentation (same meeting) ignored the Standing Committee’s report, not a question asked, and moved a motion for a tax increase of 5% – which was immediately approved by council.

To today’s news on budget discussions – per the Director of Finance public comments “they need to find $5 million in savings, spending reductions or increased revenue”. Or Mark Bakken’s (TOL CAO) comments “We likely have a lot more priorities or hopes than we may have resources” or “Council may have to prioritize or look for creative ways of raising revenue and reducing expenses”!

Excuse me but as that old saying goes “Bull Shit is trying to Baffle Brains”!

Have we not forgotten something here, a number of items staff never want to talk about? Our committee went line by line with every department head reviewing every category and sub-category of which there are many within a complete Municipal Budget.

Township of Langley Capital Budget – There are numerous headings used by staff; just a few examples – “Capital Budget approved not funded”, “Capital budget approved and started” or “Capital Budget approved, funded, not started”! 

Just in one area we uncovered something very interesting, a category that at first glance seems insignificant probably significantly inflated from what it was back in 2009 in every department! That is in the Category – “Capital Projects approved, funded, not started”! We found that throughout the budget this category was nothing but a catch all for taxpayer funds, put another way, slush funds. This was a catch-all for a wide variety of projects over the years that had been approved by the Council of the day, those major or minor that had been delayed, forgotten about, lacked any urgency to conclude and/or those put on hold for one reason or another. Probably in some cases they were a ruse! This appeared to have been going on for years unchecked. A normal process would be if these funds were not expended and project started within a year, those funds should revert to general revenue. If you extrapolate this practice over many years you are talking a significant number of financial slush funds throughout the budget that are being protected and carried forward year after year after year.

Township of Langley Operations Budget – So Township / Municipal Staff led by their CAO seem to feel it is their rite of passage and they are above being questioned as to line items in the budget dealing with regular activities and costs. God forbid if we can achieve better results by implementing new and more productive methods to achieve the same or in many cases better results throughout our Township service model at a lower cost? Number of vehicles requested vs need? I am not suggesting that government services (public sector) can be operated the same as or with the same efficiency as the private sector (for a wide variety of reasons), however there has to be a willingness on the part of public sector management to do better and be more accountable.

As to public sector wages – by any measure they are the best by any comparison to the private sector and are a product of agreements negotiated on behalf of the Public Sector in Metro Vancouver by RES (Regional Employers Services). That’s right, public sector employees negotiating for public sector employees. Fact, the negotiators will receive the same or better increase than those they are negotiating for. After all it is only your tax dollars they are spending! Not all municipalities take advantage of these services but their negotiated settlements form a template throughout the region. A number of years ago as a Delta Alderman I served on the then Metro Vancouver labor relations Committee. The only thing that has changed is it has been expedited.

Summary: We sincerely wish our new council well in their efforts in concluding a municipal budget with a tax increase of 4% which is their publicly stated goal. The majority of this council were elected on a very well thought out plan that will start the Township on a road to delivering on the services, facilities and roads required for such a dramatically fast growing Municipality. It certainly can be done it just requires determination and focus to cut through all of the internal noise and obstruction.

RG

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

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

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors, and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

Our Year End Message: Well, it has been a full and very interesting year in politics in the Township of Langley. In 2022 we took a very active role in the 2022 Municipal Election reporting on and being very straight forward on our opinion on issues and individuals as most of you will know and recognize. We ultimately took the position we did in support of Eric Woodward and his “Contract with Langley Team” based on his straight-forward talk dealing with issues of concern to everyone complete with how he was going to achieve a successful conclusion. I believe the election results – 6 of 7 elected to Council and 3 of 3 elected to School Board is proof of the public’s support. Those results speak volumes to community support, all regions, and all polls. With those campaign promises comes community pressure to deliver. They have the majority and they have the mandate – it is now time to deliver! By the way, they have made a great start!

We at www.langleywatchdog.com are gearing up for a very active year in 2023, preparing a number of featured BLOG Posts on issues, Breaking News and information. All of this focused on what will seriously affect residents of the Township of Langley, primarily at the Provincial and Municipal levels. Provincially, we have a NEW premier in David Eby.

Municipally we have numerous Township of Langley issues plus Metro Vancouver’s regional issues that including Transportation that unfortunately residents are just are not but should be aware of. There is so much material and information that is just not getting into the Public’s hands; we will keep our readers informed. What is really happening behind the scenes, check us out starting again the first week of January 2023, tune into  www.langleywatchdog.com .

Over 150,000 views to-date! Feel free to contact me at any time by email, Facebook or by phone. All contact information is available on our BLOG and ALL contact is guaranteed to be confidential!

On behalf of www.langleywatchdog.com we want to wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year. See you in January 2023!

RG

I am working on a few posts at present that I believe should be of significant concern and interest to residents of the Township of Langley.

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

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  The election campaign is over, so it is now time for our NEW Township of Langley Municipal Council to put their money where their mouth is. My observation of their first council business meeting sent a strong message that they are doing just that, what a refreshing start!

Their published agenda was long and it contained many items that will be of serious public interest dealing with many of the “Contract with Langley” election commitments and promises. The most relevant and obvious observation, beyond the issues that they dealt with, was the decorum among members of council, the attitude of all members of council that were present towards each other, and in a couple of cases to disagree without being disagreeable.

It was interesting that Councillor Kim Richter was absent from the first regular meeting and yet attended the evenings Public Hearing. No reason was given?

The benefits of having a majority on council were clearly on display, however with that majority comes a very real responsibility on the part of the meeting chair, Mayor Eric Woodward. The meeting was very well chaired displaying a humble willingness to ensure they were not going to be overpowering but were inclusive for comment by all members as well as through a well laid out series of “Notices of Motions”. A special shout out to independent Councillors Margaret Kunst and Michael Pratt for their professional  participation expressing their views in what might seem to be a challenging new environment. This meeting shows it can work well. All in all it was a great start; the first meeting of a four-year term and “Contract with Langley”!

I have no problem saying, which I have done recently; the campaign put together by the Contract with Langley team was the best I have seen in over 40 years of being involved in politics. They clearly laid out the issues; they laid out their platform, all the while incorporating their plan of how they were going to pay for their promises. Their presentation was extensive with simple but well put together graphics in signage, print, extensive social media messaging including numerous videos, partnership / endorsement support of community sport groups plus numerous community town hall events. The underlying key feature of everything they were promising, was their need to elect a majority of their team to be able to deliver on their promised platform. They now have their majority, they now have their mandate – now it is time for them to deliver, and it is up to them.

Elections are often treated with a healthy dose of skepticism by the general public in terms of delivering on election promises. Aside from the normal agenda items for 1^st and 2^nd readings, 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd readings, 3^rd readings and correspondence items, the following is an abbreviated recap of some key steps this council took in their first meeting to obviously meet the expectations they set through the promises they made. It speaks volumes to their commitment to deliver:

Notice of Motion from Councillor Rindt regarding the Agricultural Land Reserve: Of significant importance was a Notice of Motion on the 93 acre Bucci Developments property at the corner of 64^th / Mufford and 208^th, serving notice that the Township of Langley WILL NOT support any exclusion application to the ALC of this property. It is “contrary to the public interest due to the quality, location, and Council’s preference to retain agricultural land within the Township of Langley”. This was unanimously supported. NOTE: This property is part of the historical Hudsons Bay Farm that the B.C. Liberal Government, through TransLink in 2009, attempted to run the Mufford Crescent Diversion through the middle of, diverting all traffic over to the corner of 216^th and 64^th. While it took an extensive two year fight against all of the major players including our Council, our Community Minority Report to the ALC finally won out when I was the Mayor.

Notice of Motion from Mayor Woodward for the Reconsideration of the Conwest Gloucester Application: Primary goal is for the reconsideration and further discussion regarding the Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) for the benefit of the Township of Langley. Majority supported, Councillor Kunst opposed.

Notice of Motion from Mayor Woodward for the Reconsideration of the Qualico Mitchell Williams LLP Application Development Permit No. 101029: Primary goal is for the reconsideration and further discussion surrounding density, road networks and Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) for the benefit of the Township of Langley. Majority supported, Councillor Kunst opposed.

Notice of Motion from Mayor Woodward for the Reconsideration of the Qualico Mitchell Williams LLP Application Development Permit No. 101027 and 101213: Primary goal is for the reconsideration and further discussion surrounding density, road networks and Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) for the benefit of the Township of Langley. Majority supported, Councillor Kunst opposed.

Notice of Motion from Mayor Woodward for a Community Amenity Contributions Policy Update: A very detailed explanation to staff directing staff to prepare an update to Council’s CAC policy based on the detailed explanation outlined. Included was a priority list of the community amenities to be included. This was unanimously supported.

Notice of Motion from Mayor Woodward – Direction to staff for NEW Community and Planning Priorities: A very detailed request to staff for CAC update, complete review and update of neighborhood plans within Willoughby, consolidation of Greenway amenity policies, complete Booth, Rinn and Fernridge neighborhood plans, complete and update Williams Neighborhood Plan, complete and update Smith Neighborhood Plan, and disband the Willowbrook Planning Team to provide a wider spectrum of public input. This was unanimously supported.

Notice of Motion from Mayor Woodward for Willoughby Arterial Road Community Amenity Program (WARCAP) Consolidation with Road DCCs: A direction to staff dealing with a process to update DCC charges and the consolidation of such to advance the need for the promised update to Willoughby Arterial Road improvements. (Example 208^th and 80^th among others) This was unanimously supported.

Notice of Motion from Councillors Pratt and vanPopta regarding a Final resolution of North Langley Water Issues: A detailed motion directing staff to report back to council a process to cease the use of well water in Fort Langley and implement the service of Metro Vancouver water to this area as soon as possible. This was unanimously supported.

Notice of Motion from Councillor Baillie to add 40 full time firefighters 2023 – 2028: Due to the extensive growth within the Township of Langley and the current understaffing of full time firefighters staff are directed to incorporate the costs of 40 full time firefighters spread over a 5 year time span. This was unanimously supported.

Notice of Motion from Mayor Woodward requesting review of Salmon River Uplands Rural Community Plan: That Council considers any residential subdivision in the Salmon River Uplands area to be contrary to the public interest if subdivided under current minimum parcel sizes and before Council addresses minimum parcel sizes in relation to the review. This was unanimously supported.

Notice of Motion from Mayor Woodward for the initiation of Priority Project Works with initial Preparations: That staff initiate the planning for 1) a NEW Indoor Pool and Community Center within Yorkson Community Park in Willoughby 2) A NEW Soccer Campus within Smith Neighborhood Plan in Willoughby and 3) A NEW Ice and Dry Floor recreation facility at the Langley Events Center in Willoughby. This was unanimously supported.  

Notice of Motion from Councillor vanPopta for Council Consideration of project 08-26-0225 (45 Story Vesta Tower) at 80^th and 200^th Street: In a very detailed notice of motion and reasons for it that Council advise staff to communicate with Vesta Properties in writing that they will not consider (they will deny) the planned 45 story high-rise at this location directing them to complete their previously approved planned community consisting of low rise condominiums and townhouses. This was unanimously supported.

Full Disclosure, I fully support the foregoing initiatives however while I understand the sentiment I totally disagree with the following Notice of Motion and explain why. I am sure many will disagree with my conclusion but think about someone new wanting to run?

Notice of Motion from Councillor Baillie – Election signs to be restricted to Private Property: Direction to staff to bring forward an amendment to the Election and Political Signs by-law prohibiting any and all election signage on Township property.

Editorial opinion – As a political activist, candidate, elected and campaign manager for over 45 years, municipal, provincial and federal, I hate election signs with a passion and more than anyone, however democracy has a price and comes at a cost. It is increasingly difficult for non-incumbents to raise their profile during an election campaign. We are now running elections every 4 years, less frequent elections bring less opportunity to raise community profile. Many will remember our elections were every 2 years. Our new campaign financing laws place further restrictions on anyone interested in running. Three weeks of looking at unsightly election signs, every 4 years is a small price to pay for our democratic process. I would also suggest it is somewhat a conflict-of-interest for an elected Municipal Council to place restrictions on future candidates vying for their jobs. I remember a comment made about damage and theft as a problem – I know that problem better than anyone, it is a fact of life and it is still no excuse to impose these restrictions on future candidates. I would hope that Council will reconsider this move or at the very least have staff prepare a report on election signage policies of surrounding municipalities.    

Summary

As is clearly identified in their first agenda, this Council appears to not only want to change how things are done but are determined to move quickly in their efforts, I applaud them for that. It strikes me that this is only the start of implementing the changes the Township of Langley has been looking for, for over two decades. They have to use their majority wisely and if my experience on a Council as part of a slate means anything, there will be conflicts and disagreements – that is healthy. Again you can disagree without being disagreeable!

As I see it, while this is only the first meeting, a lot of hope lies with the residents of the Township of Langley that we are entering a new age that is not controlled by back room lobbyists. It is a great move forward. I will be reporting on the activity and progress of this council on a regular basis over the next four years.   

RG

More interesting 2022 Municipal Election News coming soon!

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

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors, and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

In what can only be described as a very dirty and distasteful election campaign initiated by a few individuals with deep personal hatred issues, the targets of that hatred took the high road and won! A review of poll by poll results speaks volumes in support of the wishes of Township of Langley residents wanting good transparent government to get things done! 

We have seen how a series of FOUR year terms, has affected our growing municipality. Depending on which numbers you want to look at, our population has increased by about 40,000 people in ten years or 5,000 per year, or about 20,000 during one FOUR year term. Losing the capacity or will to improve the necessary infrastructure year after year on the heels of approving a massive increase in development – well, have seen the result.

The sad reality is our municipality has been, up to now, run by power brokers and self-interested individuals with insider connections, unbeknown to innocent tax payers. I found out about the real corruption going on in the Township of Langley as Mayor with nobody on council willing to support the need for change. With no support for the change we needed back then, we have what we have today.

Nobody can say there wasn’t a clear choice in this year’s election. The Whitmarsh, Coleman, and Sparrow campaigns were effectively campaigning to keep the status quo – and from my perspective their campaigns were very poor by any effective campaign standards. On the Coleman campaign, I was waiting for another shoe to drop, and it never came. Given Rich Coleman’s political experience I couldn’t believe they ran such a poor and ineffective campaign – from messaging to signage to design and graphics it left one wondering what was this was all about? What did they plan to achieve?

In my 45 years of experience, the Contract with Langley campaign was outstanding. Everything from the volume of Social Media, to Print Media, to graphics, their messaging and their platform, all with an excellent presentation. From on-line videos featuring Eric Woodward and each of the team’s candidates, to endorsements by user groups, to live streaming community Town Halls, to on-site videos of their community initiatives in their platform, as well as speaking directly to residents of the Township of Langley. Most important they answered all of the obvious questions in a very public way. So to their incredibly successful results:

Eric Woodward topped all polls except one.

Contract with Langley Councillors filled 5 of the top 6 spots on Council.

Contract with Langley candidate Barb Martens topped the polls in her first try.

Despite a clique of angry Fort Langley residents Eric Woodward topped the Fort Langley Poll.

Despite a clique of angry Fort Langley residents Contract with Langley candidates did very well in the Fort Langley Poll.

Contract with Langley candidates became the first slate / team to get elected in the Township in over 20 years!

All three Contract with Langley School Board candidates won a spot on School Board.

2 of the 3 Contract with Langley School Board Candidates topped the polls.

So now what, where do we go from here?

Contract with Langley ran a great campaign, and obviously based on my BLOG Posts and endorsements we supported their team plus two independents. (7 of 9 that we endorsed won in the election) So now the pressure is on; they have the mandate they wanted, they have the mandate they needed to get things done. They know what they have to do now to deliver on their campaign promises, the residents of the Township will be watching, there are no excuses. I argued in favor of their team, knowing what is necessary for a Council to move our community forward. It is their time to show they deserved our trust.

This election stands to be the most transformative election in our history, and that is not hyperbole!  

What about Voter Turnout throughout the Lower Mainland? It is shocking!

As we have repeatedly warned our readers, elections have consequences. Reviewing the election results throughout the Lower Mainland sends a very concerning message. As we know, Municipal election turnout has not been great over many elections. Having said that as you can see below, 22 Municipalities / Cities reflect a decline in voter turnout, some greater than others. In one City close to home, it has hit rock bottom which doesn’t say much about the newly elected Mayor and Council.

What can be done about the low turnout in Municipal elections? Have we reached the point that there should be a penalty for not voting or conversely a bonus / credit for voting?

I am sure most people have heard that your Municipal / City government have the singular biggest effect on your families daily lives. When you analyze voter turnout numbers there can be a number of qualifications or reasons that align with any respective turnout number. Obviously a Mayoral contest raises the interest, the number of candidates (especially for Mayor) raises the interest, and high-profile local issues raises the interest, but despite all of that it doesn’t alter the question – Why are our Municipal elections drawing such little interest? There are some interesting conclusions that can be drawn, especially one close to home.

Here is a list of 22 Municipalities and Cities throughout the Lower Mainland, all showing a decrease in voter turnout vs 2018 of eligible voters, some more than others:

Belcarra – 74.6% turnout – down 10.1%      

Anmore – 50.8% turnout – down 1.2% 

Vancouver – 36% turnout – down 3.1%

West Vancouver – 35% turnout – down 2.7%

City of Surrey – 34% turnout – down 1.6%

Port Moody – 31% turnout – down 5.9%

City of White Rock – 29.4% turnout – down 10.2%

City of Delta – 28.5% turnout – down – 14.3%

City of New Westminster – 27.3% turnout – down .02%

Township of Langley – 26.5% turnout – down 3.9%

City of Richmond – 24.5% turnout – down 12%

City of Abbotsford – 23.6% turnout – down 12.3%

District of North Vancouver – 23.5% turnout – down 13.!%

Pitt Meadows – 23.3 % turnout – down 16.9%

City of Chilliwack – 24.7% turnout – down 14.3%

City of North Vancouver – 22.4% turnout – down 11.4%

City of Mission – 21.9% turnout – down 9.8%

City of Maple Ridge – 21.5% turnout – down 12%

City of Coquitlam – 20.1% turnout – down 5.2%                      

City of Burnaby – 19.3 % turnout – down 12.7%

Port Coquitlam – 18.3% turnout – down 9.8%

City of Langley – 17% turnout – down 8.2%

NOTE: City of Langley: A number of conclusions / opinions can be drawn from these election results. Yes, you can say a win is a win – however those that disregard the reality of election voter turnout, does so at their peril. Looking at the City of Langley turnout numbers, it screams “None of the Above”!

A reality check for the City of Langley – Think about it – 22,166 eligible voters and you win with 2,434 votes and your opposition receives 1,290 votes. Put it another way 1 in 6 eligible voters cast their ballot – or 1 in over 9 voters who cast their ballot did so for the winner, that is nothing short of embarrassing! If I was the elected Mayor I would be alarmed!

Summary: Elections have Consequences! Remember we are electing our councils for FOUR years in today’s world which can be very impactful, either negative or positive? From my observation our elections have taken on a different impact which has yet to be realized by the public.

 RG

More interesting 2022 Municipal Election News coming soon!

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

The Contract with Langley platform has been published in detail; with 5 supporting votes on Council, they guarantee to follow through on building infrastructure and instituting policies that are clearly outlined in their campaign material. To move forward we need a Council that does not get bogged down with political infighting and gotcha politics which has been the norm in the Township of Langley for decades, all favoring local unelected Power Brokers!

Through a “Fair Deal from Development” the Township of Langley can move forward and not have to impose these costs onto property taxpayers to solve these problems.

• Fix the embarrassing 208^th Street, 80^th Avenue and other major roads in Willoughby!

• Expand the Aldergrove Community Centre with a new vision for progress in Aldergrove!

• A NEW Indoor Pool, youth and community centre in Willoughby within Yorkson Community Park at 80^th Ave. Currently there is no plan for one!

• Build a youth soccer campus for and in partnership with LUSA, at least four NEW synthetic turf fields, one of which will be fully indoors for all weather use!

• Finish Fraser Highway from Murrayville to Aldergrove within 8 years, along with water and sewer infrastructure!

• End closed-door Council decision making and the sale of public lands without transparency, fair process or public input!

• Replace our fire-halls for Brookswood and Walnut Grove with a NEW plan for community-oriented policing and second stage housing!

• Fix our broken permit and development processes that increase costs for so many while delaying the new housing that we need!

• Create a NEW Housing Action Plan that ensures 10% of all new housing will be permanently set aside as truly affordable rental housing!

• Get residents and taxpayers a Fair Deal from Development to complete our Plan for Progress and Plan for Schools before, it is too late!   

Our Endorsement

Our choice for Mayor – Eric Woodward – Contract with Langley.

Eric Woodward has jumped into this race with the most comprehensive plan that I have seen in over 40 years of being involved in Municipal Politics. There are two fundamental guiding principles in making our decision 1) What is their platform against what is the community need? (Specifics, not Platitudes.) and 2) How are they going to get the 5 votes needed to deliver on their election promises? As a former Mayor their plan makes abundant sense and is long overdue:

#1 – What is the plan vs what is the public need.

I have watched Eric closely over the past 4 years and found him to have done an excellent job in preparation on his arguments on an issue. Eric repeatedly brought forward ideas and ways to fund them (i.e., Development and Financial Reform) and yet he was repeatedly shot down on a wide variety of ideas he brought forward. His performance and work ethic was head and shoulders above anyone else at the Council table. This is the reality of politics playing out with 9 independents, recognizing the majority of those independents at the Council table were controlled by the power elite of the Township. The Contract with Langley Plan deals with our need and is complete with detailed specifics including a financial plan on how he we can pay for it – the bottom line, not from property tax but “Getting a Fair Deal from Development!”

#2 – How are they going to get the 5 votes needed to deliver on their commitments?

The harsh reality is that you need support from, hopefully, a group on Council that are elected with and are all committed to support their advertised platform. Now I can assure you, after talking to the candidates running with Contract with Langley; they are independent in their general thought and mind BUT, support their platform of ideas – which is key to getting something significant done for the people of the Township of Langley. All of this answers the question as to how they are going to achieve their promise.

The KEY – They need your support to get elected in support of their promise. A group of 9 independents will not achieve this goal or our goal of building the necessary infrastructure in our communities. All of these candidates are long-time residents of the Township of Langley and are extremely professional in their regular lives. Through my research and in discussion with all of these Candidates I firmly believe all of them will make Township of Langley residents proud of their Municipal Council and will fully live up to all commitments they have made in this campaign!  

Our Choice for Township of Langley Councillors –

“Contract with Langley”

Tim Baillie – Retired Surrey Fire Department Captain – South Langley

Barb Martens – Constable Vancouver Police Dept. 20 yrs. – Walnut Grove

Steve Ferguson – Retired School Teacher (8 Term Councillor) – Brookswood

Misty Van Popta – Project Management Professional – Fort Langley

A J Cheema – Small Business Owner, Coach – Salmon River

Rob Rindt – Farmer, Small Business Owner – Rural Langley

“Independents who we see reflect a new vision and relative youth”

Brit Gardner – Community Activist, Transit Activist – Fort Langley

Michael Pratt – Community Planning and Housing Activist – Willowbrook

Our Choice for Township of Langley School Board – There is an absolute need for coordination between our Municipal Council and our School Board in support of

new school locations and facilities to meet our school district needs.

“Contract with Langley”

Holly Dickinson – Surrey School Teacher – Murrayville

Joel Neufeld – Surrey Firefighter – Fort Langley

Sarb Rai – Federal Public Servant – Brookswood

“Election Alert” – While it might be hard to believe for residents of the TOL who have not been involved with Municipal Politics in the Township of Langley, there are “Multi, Multi, Multi Millions of DOLLARS at stake depending on who wins this election. That threat is playing out during this election campaign through the dissemination of hearsay, gossip, innuendo and the spreading of fictitious stories on-line with a personal grudge.   Now there is a campaign of stealing and the destruction of many “Contract with Langley” election signs. It does not take a rocket scientist to look around and see who is responsible – the power brokers are feeling threatened. We cannot let them prevail unless you want to see your community sold out. If you see anything or know anything, please contact us immediately.

“Advance Voting Information” for residents of the Township of Langley 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Brookswood – Thursd. October 13^th, 2022 – G. Preston Rec. Centre/Rm B&C – 20699 42^nd Ave.

Please remember to VOTE – nothing will happen without your support!

RG

More interesting 2022 Municipal Election News coming soon!

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

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors, and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

Township mayoral candidates clash over financial disclosures, blind trust….

Eric Woodward claims Rich Coleman is violating rules on disclosing his assets.

(source Langley Advance Times)

Langley Township mayoral candidate Rich Coleman should disclose the assets he has in a blind trust, according to rival mayoral candidate Eric Woodward.

Woodward raised the issue in September, after the candidates registration forms were filed with the chief election officers and posted on the Township website.

When running for civic office, candidates have to disclose their corporate or personal investment holdings, including property they own, along with businesses they own, or which pay them a salary.

Coleman’s disclosure lists “blind trust” under his disclosure section, along with his B.C. Government Pension from his career as an MLA and cabinet minister.

“If you have assets in a trust structure, you still have to disclose the assets”, Woodward said.

He said it’s “outrageous” that Coleman isn’t disclosing what he owns and said it would make it impossible to determine if there are conflicts of interest if Coleman were to be elected mayor.

Woodward said he does not believe Coleman doesn’t know what’s in his trust.

“It hasn’t been very active” Coleman said of the trust – (editorial comment – If the trustee controls the trust how would Coleman know whether it has been very active or not? It is a ruse!)

The Langley Advance Times reached out to the provincial government, and the ministry of the Attorney General said that disclosure statements must detail an elected-officials, corporate and personal holdings; including the name of each business providing financial remuneration to the candidate, and a description and location of land in which they own an interest.

Woodward’s disclosure notes his ownership of shares in two credit unions, but the bulk of the disclosure is about Fort Langley Properties Ltd., a holding company which owns 20 properties in the Fort.

From langleywatchdog – IMPORTANT – Given the Attorney General’s Ministry statement above the residents of the Township of Langley MUST ask themselves what is Rich Coleman hiding, what doesn’t he want you to know? Facing the above reality, he cannot be trusted!

The langleywatchdog.com Endorsement follows, we believe THE CHOICE IS CLEAR:

Our choice for Mayor – Eric Woodward – Contract with Langley.

Eric Woodward has jumped into this race with the most comprehensive plan that I have seen in over 40 years of being involved in Municipal Politics. There are two fundamental guiding principles in making our decision 1) What is their platform against what is the community need? (Specifics, not Platitudes.) and 2) How are they going to get the 5 votes needed to deliver on their election promises?

As a former Mayor with knowledge and experience in the office this plan ia absolutely doable, makes abundant sense and is long overdue for our taxpayers and residents.

#1 – What is the plan vs what is the public need.

I have watched Eric closely over the past 4 years and found him to have done an excellent job in preparation on his arguments on an issue. Eric repeatedly brought forward ideas and ways to fund them (i.e., Development and Financial Reform) and yet he was repeatedly shot down on a wide variety of ideas he brought forward. His performance and work ethic was head and shoulders above anyone else at the Council table. This is the reality of politics playing out with 9 independents, recognizing the majority of those independents at the Council table were controlled by the power elite of the Township. The Contract with Langley Plan deals with our need and is complete with detailed specifics including a financial plan on how he we can pay for it – the bottom line, not from property tax but “Getting a Fair Deal from Development!”

#2 – How are they going to get the 5 votes needed to deliver on their commitments?

The harsh reality is that you need support from, hopefully, a group on Council that are elected with and are all committed to support their advertised platform. Now I can assure you, after talking to the candidates running with Contract with Langley; they are independent in their general thought and mind BUT, support their platform of ideas – which is key to getting something significant done for the people of the Township of Langley. All of this answers the question as to how they are going to achieve their promise.

The KEY – They need your support to get elected in support of their promise. A group of 9 independents will not achieve this goal or our goal of building the necessary infrastructure in our communities. All of these candidates are long-time residents of the Township of Langley and are extremely professional in their regular lives. Through my research and in discussion with all of these Candidates I firmly believe all of them will make Township of Langley residents proud of their Municipal Council and will fully live up to all commitments they have made in this campaign!  

Our Choice for Township of Langley Councillors –

“Contract with Langley”

Tim Baillie                   Retired Surrey Fire Department Captain      South Langley

Barb Martens             Constable Vancouver Police Dept. 20 yrs.    Walnut Grove

Steve Ferguson          Retired School Teacher (8 Term Councillor) Brookswood

Misty Van Popta        Project Management Professional               Fort Langley

A J Cheema                 Small Business Owner, Coach                       Salmon River

Rob Rindt                   Farmer, Small Business Owner                      Rural Langley

“Independents who we see reflect a new vision and relative youth”

Brit Gardner               Community Activist, Transit Activist            Fort Langley

Michael Pratt             Community Planning and Housing Activist  Willowbrook

Our Choice for Township of Langley School Board – There is an absolute need for coordination between our Municipal Council and our School Board in support of

new school locations and facilities to meet our school district needs.

“Contract with Langley”

Holly Dickinson          Surrey School Teacher                                   Murrayville

Joel Neufeld               Surrey Firefighter                                          Fort Langley

Sarb Rai                       Federal Public Servant                                  Brookswood

“Election Alert” – While it might be hard to believe for residents of the TOL who have not been involved with Municipal Politics in the Township of Langley, there are “Multi, Multi, Multi Millions of DOLLARS at stake depending on who wins this election. That threat is playing out during this election campaign through the dissemination of hearsay, gossip, innuendo and the spreading of fictitious stories on-line with a personal grudge.   Now there is a campaign of stealing and the destruction of many “Contract with Langley” election signs. It does not take a rocket scientist to look around and see who is responsible – the power brokers are feeling threatened. We cannot let them prevail unless you want to see your community sold out. If you see anything or know anything, please contact us immediately.

“Advance Voting Information” for residents of the Township of Langley 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Aldergrove – Tuesday Oct. 11^th, 2022 – Ald. Credit Un. Com. Centre – 27032 Fraser Highway

Murrayville – Wed. Oct. 12^th, 2022 – W.C. Blair Rec. Centre/Studio 4 – 22200 Fraser Hwy.

Brookswood – Thursd. October 13^th, 2022 – G. Preston Rec. Centre/Rm B&C – 20699 42^nd Ave.

Please remember to VOTE – nothing will happen without your support!

RG

More interesting 2022 Municipal Election News coming soon!

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

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors, and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

The Contract with Langley platform has been published in detail; with 5 supporting votes on Council, they guarantee to follow through on building infrastructure and instituting policies that are clearly outlined in their campaign material. To move forward we need a Council that does not get bogged down with political infighting and gotcha politics which has been the norm in the Township of Langley for decades, all favoring local unelected Power Brokers!

Through a “Fair Deal from Development” the Township of Langley can move forward and not have to impose these costs onto property taxpayers to solve these problems.

• Fix the embarrassing 208^th Street, 80^th Avenue and other major roads in Willoughby!

• Expand the Aldergrove Community Centre with a new vision for progress in Aldergrove!

• A NEW Indoor Pool, youth and community centre in Willoughby within Yorkson Community Park at 80^th Ave. Currently there is no plan for one!

• Build a youth soccer campus for and in partnership with LUSA, at least four NEW synthetic turf fields, one of which will be fully indoors for all weather use!

• Finish Fraser Highway from Murrayville to Aldergrove within 8 years, along with water and sewer infrastructure!

• End closed-door Council decision making and the sale of public lands without transparency, fair process or public input!

• Replace our fire-halls for Brookswood and Walnut Grove with a NEW plan for community-oriented policing and second stage housing!

• Fix our broken permit and development processes that increase costs for so many while delaying the new housing that we need!

• Create a NEW Housing Action Plan that ensures 10% of all new housing will be permanently set aside as truly affordable rental housing!

•  Get residents and taxpayers a Fair Deal from Development to complete our Plan for Progress and Plan for Schools before, it is too late!

Our Endorsement

Our choice for Mayor – Eric Woodward – Contract with Langley.

Eric Woodward has jumped into this race with the most comprehensive plan that I have seen in over 40 years of being involved in Municipal Politics. There are two fundamental guiding principles in making our decision 1) What is their platform against what is the community need? (Specifics, not Platitudes.) and 2) How are they going to get the 5 votes needed to deliver on their election promises? As a former Mayor their plan makes abundant sense and is long overdue:

#1 – What is the plan vs what is the public need.

I have watched Eric closely over the past 4 years and found him to have done an excellent job in preparation on his arguments on an issue. Eric repeatedly brought forward ideas and ways to fund them (i.e., Development and Financial Reform) and yet he was repeatedly shot down on a wide variety of ideas he brought forward. His performance and work ethic was head and shoulders above anyone else at the Council table. This is the reality of politics playing out with 9 independents, recognizing the majority of those independents at the Council table were controlled by the power elite of the Township. The Contract with Langley Plan deals with our need and is complete with detailed specifics including a financial plan on how he we can pay for it – the bottom line, not from property tax but “Getting a Fair Deal from Development!”

#2 – How are they going to get the 5 votes needed to deliver on their commitments?

The harsh reality is that you need support from, hopefully, a group on Council that are elected with and are all committed to support their advertised platform. Now I can assure you, after talking to the candidates running with Contract with Langley; they are independent in their general thought and mind BUT, support their platform of ideas – which is key to getting something significant done for the people of the Township of Langley. All of this answers the question as to how they are going to achieve their promise.

The KEY – They need your support to get elected in support of their promise. A group of 9 independents will not achieve this goal or our goal of building the necessary infrastructure in our communities. All of these candidates are long-time residents of the Township of Langley and are extremely professional in their regular lives. Through my research and in discussion with all of these Candidates I firmly believe all of them will make Township of Langley residents proud of their Municipal Council and will fully live up to all commitments they have made in this campaign!  

Our Choice for Township of Langley Councillors –

“Contract with Langley”

Tim Baillie – Retired Surrey Fire Department Captain – South Langley

Barb Martens – Constable Vancouver Police Dept. 20 yrs. – Walnut Grove

Steve Ferguson – Retired School Teacher (8 Term Councillor) – Brookswood

Misty Van Popta – Project Management Professional – Fort Langley

A J Cheema – Small Business Owner, Coach – Salmon River

Rob Rindt – Farmer, Small Business Owner – Rural Langley

“Independents who we see reflect a new vision and relative youth”

Brit Gardner – Community Activist, Transit Activist – Fort Langley

Michael Pratt – Community Planning and Housing Activist – Willowbrook

Our Choice for Township of Langley School Board – There is an absolute need for coordination between our Municipal Council and our School Board in support of new school locations and facilities to meet our school district needs.

“Contract with Langley”

Holly Dickinson – Surrey School Teacher – Murrayville

Joel Neufeld – Surrey Firefighter – Fort Langley

Sarb Rai – Federal Public Servant – Brookswood

“Election Alert” – While it might be hard to believe for residents of the TOL who have not been involved with Municipal Politics in the Township of Langley, there are “Multi, Multi, Multi Millions of DOLLARS at stake depending on who wins this election. That threat is playing out during this election campaign through the dissemination of hearsay, gossip, innuendo and the spreading of fictitious stories on-line with a personal grudge.   Now there is a campaign of stealing and the destruction of many “Contract with Langley” election signs. It does not take a rocket scientist to look around and see who is responsible – the power brokers are feeling threatened. We cannot let them prevail unless you want to see your community sold out. If you see anything or know anything, please contact us immediately.

“Advance Voting Information” for residents of the Township of Langley 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Fort Langley – Thursday October 6^th, 2022 – Fort Langley Community Hall – 9167 Glover Rd.

Walnut Grove – Frid. Oct. 7^th, 2022 – Walnut Grove Com. Centre/Gym – 8889 Waln. Grove Dr.

Willoughby – Saturday October 8^th, 2022 – Langley Events Centre/Gym 2 – 7888 200^th St.

Aldergrove – Tuesday Oct. 11^th, 2022 – Ald. Credit Un. Com. Centre – 27032 Fraser Highway

Murrayville – Wed. Oct. 12^th, 2022 – W.C. Blair Rec. Centre/Studio 4 – 22200 Fraser Hwy.

Brookswood – Thursd. October 13^th, 2022 – G. Preston Rec. Centre/Rm B&C – 20699 42^nd Ave.

Please remember to VOTE – nothing will happen without your support!

RG

More interesting 2022 Municipal Election News coming soon!

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

Share this BLOG; forward it to your friends, neighbors, and relatives!

To comment on this post – Click on this Post, top left-hand corner under recent posts.

The taxpayers collective choice for the next Township of Langley Municipal Council will be the most critical decision they will make for decades – good or the bad? The following endorsement decisions are based on independent research, practical in-elected office experience as your mayor, and the known history of each candidate.

What is their potential for achieving 5 votes should they get elected!

To start with, all candidates deserve our thanks for putting their name forward to run for election in this campaign. It is a difficult task and a serious learning experience for most. The unfortunate part is that the vast majority of candidates are offering nothing more than political platitudes (a statement that is boring and has no meaning because it has been said so many times before) or trite remarks (dull and boring i.e., non-specific) in their election material either in print or on-line. The vast majority of candidates are relying on this bogus line of being “independent” as somehow being of significant value. It is just another way of saying I do not have a plan or an idea that I want to see achieved in my community. An example, just because you say you are independent does not mean you cannot come out and show support for the ideas of others, but nobody running as a so-called independent has ventured into that space. That is because it is seen as political, thus the problem 9 independents coming to a decision on anything.

We have had an independent Council for over 20 years, so they say, what has that done for us, nothing other than maintaining the status quo which is only in the interest of developers and local power brokers? Special favors for friends and insiders! I have had first-hand experience of that while in office. They have had a stranglehold on the Township of Langley for decades, let’s break loose from those chains of control.

As I see it there are a couple of candidates for Councillor who are exceptions to that rule which I will outline later in this BLOG Post.

So, getting to our decision in terms of who we support? There are two fundamental guiding principles that should guide our decision 1) What is their platform against what is the community need? (Specifics, not Platitudes.) and 2) How are they going to get the 5 votes needed to deliver on their election promises?

Mayoral Candidate Rich Coleman –I have had a lot to say against Rich Coleman over the past 3 weeks and beyond. For very detailed reasons and arguments against Rich Coleman for Mayor go to go to our BLOG Posts of September 8^th, 2022, September 15^th, 2022, September 20^th, 2022, September 30^th, 2022.

Mayoral Candidate Blair Whitmarsh –I have had a lot to say against Blair Whitmarsh over the past 3 weeks and beyond. For very detailed reasons go to our BLOG Posts of September 12^th, 2022, September 20^th, 2022, September 26^th, 2022, September 30^th, 2022.

Mayoral Candidate Michelle Sparrow – Michelle Sparrow talks a great deal about collaboration with Council and yet she has served two terms on Council as an independent and has failed to accomplish anything while in office. While on Council Michelle did not show that she has the experience or the leadership skills necessary to sit in the Mayor’s chair. This reality is in line with the performance of all of our other Township of Langley Councils populated by independents. Michelle’s platform again is made up of political platitudes, nothing defined, nothing specific with no plan to make development pay for itself.

Our choice for Mayor is – Eric Woodward – “Contract with Langley”.

Eric Woodward has jumped into this race with the most comprehensive plan that I have seen in over 40 years of being involved in Municipal Politics. It is complete with detailed specifics as well a financial plan on how he we can pay for it – the bottom line, not from property tax but “Getting a Fair Deal from Development!”

Eric’s well detailed published plan covers #1 above – What is the plan vs what is the public need.

Just for the record, I had a testy relationship with Eric up to about 6 months before the 2018 election and I am pretty sure he didn’t support me in 2011 and 2014 campaigns. Quite frankly I do not care, I do not take things personal. Through a friend of Eric’s at the time we met to discuss his campaign as he was going to run for Council. We went on to meet about 4 more times and I challenged him on a number of fronts, liking what he said I endorsed him in the 2018 campaign. He came in 2^nd across the Township, only missing top spot by about 400 votes. I have watched Eric closely over the past 4 years and found him to have done an excellent job in preparation on his arguments on an issue. Eric repeatedly brought forward ideas and ways to fund them (i.e., Development and Financial Reform) and yet he was repeatedly shot down on a wide variety of ideas he brought forward. His performance and work ethic was head and shoulders above anyone else at the Council table. This is the reality of politics playing out with 9 independents, recognizing the majority of those independents at the Council table were controlled by the power elite of the Township.

All of this brings us to the next point 2) How are they going to get the 5 votes needed to deliver on their commitments? The harsh reality is that you need support by, hopefully a group on Council that are elected with you who are all committed to support their advertised platform. Now I can assure you, after talking to the Team of candidates running with Eric, they are independent in their general thought, BUT support their platform of ideas – which is key to getting something significant done for the people of the Township of Langley. All of this answers the question as to how they are going to achieve their promise.

The key – They need your support to get elected in support of their promise. A group of 9 independents will not achieve this goal or our goal of building the necessary infrastructure. All of these candidates are long time residents of the Township of Langley and are extremely professional in their regular lives.

By running a TEAM of 7 candidates (Mayor and 6 Councillors) Eric answers 2) How they are going to get the 5 votes needed to deliver on their commitments?

Through my research and in discussion with all of these Candidates I firmly believe all of them will make Township of Langley residents proud of their Municipal Council and will fully live up to all commitments they have made in this campaign!

 Our Choice for Township of Langley Councillors –

“Contract with Langley”

Tim Baillie – Retired Surrey Fire Department Captain – South Langley

Barb Martens – Constable Vancouver Police Dept. 20 yrs. – Walnut Grove

Steve Ferguson – Retired School Teacher (8 Term Councillor) – Brookswood

Misty Van Popta – Project Management Professional – Fort Langley

A J Cheema – Small Business Owner, Coach – Salmon River

Rob Rindt – Farmer, Small Business Owner – Rural Langley

“Independents who we see reflect a new vision and relative youth”

Brit Gardner – Community Activist, Transit Activist – Fort Langley

Michael Pratt – Community Planning and Housing Activist – Willowbrook

Our Choice for Township of Langley School Board – There is an absolute need for coordination between our Municipal Council and our School Board in support of

new school locations and facilities to meet our school district needs.

“Contract with Langley”

Holly Dickinson          Surrey School Teacher                                   Murrayville

Joel Neufeld               Surrey Firefighter                                          Fort Langley

Sarb Rai                       Federal Public Servant                                  Brookswood

Platform Detail for the “Contract with Langley” Team – We will be publishing, up to the day before the election, all on-going news of the election campaign plus all of the Contract with Langley platform detail that have been published and guaranteed by the Contract with Langley Team. Stay tuned!

“Election Alert” – While it might be hard to believe for those who have not been involved with Municipal Politics in the Township of Langley “Multi, Multi, Multi Millions of DOLLARS are at stake with respect to who wins this election. That threat is playing out during this election campaign through the dissemination of here say, gossip, innuendo and the spreading of fictitious stories on-line by a small cabal of Fort Langley residents with a personal grudge. Now there is a campaign of stealing and destruction of many Contract with Langley election signs. Looking around, it does not take a rocket scientist to see who is responsible and the power brokers that are feeling threatened. We cannot let them prevail unless you want to see your community sold out. If you see anything or know anything, please contact us immediately.

“Advance Voting Information” for residents of the Township of Langley 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Willowbrook – Wednesday October 5^th, 2022 – Civic Facility / City Hall 1^st floor – 20338 65^th Ave.

Fort Langley – Thursday October 6^th, 2022 – Fort Langley Community Hall – 9167 Glover Rd.

Walnut Grove – Frid. Oct. 7^th, 2022 – Walnut Grove Com. Centre/Gym – 8889 Waln. Grove Dr.

Willoughby – Saturday October 8^th, 2022 – Langley Events Centre/Gym 2 – 7888 200^th St.

Aldergrove – Tuesday Oct. 11^th, 2022 – Ald. Credit Un. Com. Centre – 27032 Fraser Highway

Murrayville – Wed. Oct. 12^th, 2022 – W.C. Blair Rec. Centre/Studio 4 – 22200 Fraser Hwy.

Brookswood – Thursd. October 13^th, 2022 – G. Preston Rec. Centre/Rm B&C – 20699 42^nd Ave.

Please remember to VOTE – nothing will happen without your support!

RG

More interesting 2022 Municipal Election News coming soon!

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

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