A familiar Langley face and veteran politician is the first to enter the race for Langley City mayor.
But will there even be a byelection? Comments from one councillor and the City administrator suggest it may not happen.
Mel Kositsky announced Tuesday night that he plans to run for mayor in the City. He served for 18 years on Langley Township council, ran for MP in 2004 as an independent, and has been involved with a host of organizations on both Langleys since the 1970s. He ran for mayor in the Township in 2011, coming second behind Jack Froese.
Langley City Mayor Peter Fassbender has been confirmed as the new MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood and will be sworn in next week. He said during the campaign that he will resign his seat as mayor, and told The Times last week that he plans to resign in July, which would set up a September byelection.
The Times called two members of City council on Wednesday morning to see if they had any interest in running for mayor, but didn’t hear back from Councillor Teri James.
Councillor Gayle Martin, the current deputy mayor who will serve in that role until Dec. 1, said “I don’t think anybody has any plans yet. The mayor has not resigned yet.”
When told that Fassbender said he will resign in July, Martin said council has discussed the matter, but said she could not say any more because of confidentiality. She referred The Times to corporate officer Carolyn Mushata, who did not return The Times’ calls.
City administrator Francis Cheung said council plans to meet to discuss its options after Councillor Ted Schaffer returns from holidays next week. He said one option could be that council gives Fassbender a leave of absence until after Jan. 1, which would avoid the need for a byelection.
“They want to consider different options,” he said, noting that Premier Christy Clark had suggested that municipal mayors and councillors who were elected as MLAs might be able to take leaves of absence and then cities could avoid the costs of byelections.
The Local Government Act states that a byelection must be held if a member of a council resigns before Jan. 1 in the year of the next general election, which will be 2014.
Angie Quaale, outgoing president of Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce, told The Times Tuesday that she plans to run for a councillor’s seat in the byelection. She expects a seat to be vacated by at least one of the six councillors, who will then run for mayor.
In earlier interviews, Schaffer and Dave Hall said their decisions will be based on what others do.
Schaffer, who took a three-year break from his municipal duties before running and being elected once again in November, 2011, said he hasn’t ruled out making a bid for the mayor’s chair.
“I’ve had a few phone calls and been approached,” he said. “My answer is, it depends on what other people do.”
Schaffer is confident that if he or any of his council colleagues becomes the next mayor, council will continue to run smoothly.
But someone stepping in from outside the current circle is an unknown quantity, he added.
Hall is confident the City will continue to run smoothly through the transition and after a new mayor is named.
“I think that staff have provided the City with a pretty comprehensive plan. That will proceed regardless of who’s in the chair,” Hall said.
Kositsky began working as a journalist in Langley City with the Fraser Valley News Herald in the 1970s. He worked as a reporter and editor with The Times and has written a column for the Langley Advance. He has also done extensive freelance writing and consulting.
Kositsky lives in the Township but told The Times that he plans to move to the City if he is elected mayor. He also made it clear that he has no interest in reopening the amalgamation issue, and respects the position City council has taken, which is to ignore a petition sponsored by Langley Reunification Association, which called on both councils to commission a study on amalgamation.
“I have watched Langley City develop into a complete, compact community under the guidance of Mayor Marlene Grinnell and City council, and then become ‘the place to be’ under Mayor Fassbender’s leadership,” said Kositsky in a press release.
“I have always felt I have served both the City and Township throughout my political career. There are many shared services, programs and festivities involving residents of both communities, and I was always keenly aware and inclusive of City politics,” he said.
“I have always been putting Langley first. I believe I have the knowledge, experience and energy to lead Langley City into the future,” said Kositsky, 62. “I am well aware of the issues facing City residents due to my past work with the Township, Metro Vancouver board of directors and the many committees and task forces that I have been part of.
“I am also an active volunteer with many organizations, some based in the City,” he added. “My strengths are dealing with people issues — such as the homeless, drug addiction, diversity training, immigration settlement and the aging population. As a former chair or vice chair of national infrastructure and transportation committees, I will be able to seek solutions to the issues of growth and redevelopment facing Langley City.”
Kositsky said this is an exciting period for the next mayor of Langley City. There are a number of strategic plans in place for downtown revitalization and redevelopment of old neighbourhoods. The City is updating its Recreation, Parks and Culture Master Plan and its Official Community Plan to meet the Regional Growth Strategy. He is in favour of the joint Cultural Task Force study regarding a performing arts centre. Having the two local governments and the universities collaborate on the idea is the right next step, he said.
As a member of the former South Fraser Joint Family Court and Youth Justice Committee, he advocated for the reopening of a Langley Court House and that will be at the top of the list of issues he would like to tackle.
“I also see the need for an action plan to help fill the vacant storefronts in the downtown core and continue to develop a pedestrian-friendly community. I also see a need to accommodate the growing number of electric wheelchairs and scooters moving around the core, so they can get around safely. We may even need to establish scooter re-charging stations like they are doing for electric cars.”
During his political career he served as President of the Lower Mainland Local Government Association and was made an Honourary Lifetime Member. He was elected by his colleagues to the Boards of Directors of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) and FCM. He was very active on a number of provincial and national committees and task forces. In May 2006, Kositsky was made an Honorary Son of the City of San Fernando, La Union, Philippines by resolution of City Council for his work on creating the award-winning Municipal Partnership between that city and the Township of Langley. He helped develop a Country Strategy for local governments in the Philippines.
— with files from Brenda Anderson