A Responsible Fiscal Path Forward for the Township of Langley

Truth before promises.

As residents you deserve the facts and a plan before new commitments are made.

What concerns me most is that the six things I'm calling for aren't ambitious extras. They are foundational municipal practices, the basic safeguards any well-run local government should already have in place.

An aggressive capital agenda pursued without them by the Township, in my view, is where this problem begins.

As an independent, I am not tied to defending those decisions. My role is to represent residents' best interests and to insist on good governance and municipal best practices.

HERE IS WHAT I WILL ADVOCATE FOR:

1. An Honest Picture of Our Finances

I would push for a clear, plain-language "State of the Township's Finances" report, published annually, showing our total debt, our annual debt costs against our legal limit, the status of our reserves, and the real cost of the amenities we have built. Sound decisions about the future are not possible without an honest picture of the present, and residents should not have to dig for it.

2. Full Debt Disclosure and a Real Debt Policy

I would advocate for a complete debt register and a Council-supported debt management policy. A legal borrowing limit is a ceiling, not a strategy. A responsible policy would set a debt-servicing target below that legal maximum, with a plan to return our debt to a sustainable level over time. That a municipality can reach its borrowing limits without such a policy in place is exactly the gap I want to close.

3. A Complete Community Amenity Plan within the NEW ACC program

I would want every proposed amenity to come with an honest analysis of what it costs to build and to operate, and how it affects taxes, supported by broad and meaningful community consultation. The ongoing operating cost is the part most often overlooked, and the part residents ultimately carry. Amenities should not be approved without the full, long-term bill on the table.

4. An Accurate, Updated Development Cost Charge Program

I would like to see Development Cost Charges set at the true, study-justified cost of the infrastructure that growth requires, indexed so we do not fall behind again. This helps ensure the cost of servicing new growth is not quietly downloaded onto existing property taxpayers. The Township's own studies support charging the real cost, and I believe we should follow them.

5. A Reserve Management Policy

Our reserve funds exist, but a clear policy governing their minimum levels and proper use does not appear to. I would advocate for one, with minimum-balance targets and firm rules that money collected for a purpose is spent on that purpose. Reserves are residents' protection against the next emergency, and the pattern of drawdowns suggests that protection has been worn dangerously thin.

6. A Stronger Budget Process

I would support an overhaul of how both the operating and capital budgets are built, so that ongoing services are funded by stable, predictable revenue rather than by one-time or uncertain development money. In my view this is the core correction our finances need, and the foundation of a Township that lives within its means.

Working With the Province, Without Depending On It

Some of the tools municipalities need are controlled by the Province. I believe we should actively pursue reform of how amenities and infrastructure are funded, because the current rules helped create this problem. Municipalities collect only a small share of every tax dollar yet carry most of the infrastructure, and that imbalance deserves a serious conversation through the Union of BC Municipalities.

But I will be honest with you. Given the fiscal position of both the provincial and federal governments, I would not build our plan on the hope of senior-government money. We should get our own house in order first, and treat any outside help as a bonus, never a foundation.

MY COMMITMENT

I cannot promise you new buildings yet, and I will not pretend otherwise.

What I can promise is that I will advocate, consistently and independently, for the truth about the ones we have and for the safeguards that should have been there all along.

Of course we need to ensure effective community amenity planning that is future focused and fiscally responsible. Those two are not incompatible.

Trust needs to be Earned - Not borrowed.