There were a lot of new faces at the Langley Township council table on Monday, Nov. 7 as a new mayor and council were sworn in to begin their four-year term.
Mayor Eric Woodward won the leadership of the council in the Oct. 15 elections, after one term as a councillor. He is joined by five members of his Contract with Langley slate – Councillors Tim Baillie, Rob Rindt, Misty vanPopta, Barb Martens, and Steve Ferguson. Out of those councillors, only Ferguson has served on the council before.
Also elected were incumbents Coun. Kim Richter and Coun. Margaret Kunst, and new independent Coun. Michael Pratt, the youngest person ever elected in Langley Township.
Woodward struck a conciliatory note after a campaign that featured four mayoral candidates, two slates, and a host of independents.
“I would like to replace the campaign with a positive, constructive conversation over the next four years to get things done,” Woodward said in his inaugural address.
He referenced Langley Township’s extremely rapid rate of growth and the need to plan for what Langley will be in the future.
Woodward also spoke of working closely with the Langley School Board moving forward.
He also acknowledged that this is the first time in decades that a slate has won a majority of seats on the Township’s council. The last time was the 1996 to 1999 term, when the Langley Leadership team held a majority.
“This is a responsibility that we are never going to lose sight of,” said Woodward, who promised the council would govern with humility.
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“We’re going to let the next few council meetings speak for themselves,” he said.
Each councillor gave their first remarks of the new term.
“You elected us to make difficult decisions,” said Kunst.
She also mentioned the outgoing mayor and council, and the importance of truth and reconciliation work with the Indigenous communities – the Kwantlen, Katzie, Musqueam and Semiahmoo in particular – on whose traditional lands the Township sits.
Richter promised integrity in her first remarks of the new term.
“I will stand up and speak out for you,” she said.
Retired firefighter Tim Baillie said he’ll remain focused on the fire service, homelessness, and youth sports.
“About two weeks before the election, I went, ‘I’m applying for a new job,’” he said. “And I got it.”
Farmer and distiller Rindt said he was inspired by everyone’s passion for the community during the campaign.
“I plan to use this opportunity to help all the taxpayers and everyone who lives in the Township,” he said.
Martens quoted U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt and said she was looking forward to all that the new mayor and council will accomplish. Like the rest of council, she also thanked those who had helped them get elected.
“A campaign is only as successful as those working behind the scenes,” she said.
Van Popta said she was finally seasoned enough to take on the task of councillor.
“I ran for a council position in 2011, and thankfully, I was not elected,” she quipped.
Pratt noted that he’s the first in his family to hold elected office – but he brought along the briefcase of his great-grandfather, who unsuccessfully went up against longtime Social Credit premier W.A.C. Bennett in the 1950s.
He also noted that he first came to council when he was 12, asking for help with the Walk to Remember memorial.
“That was the moment when I realized the real difference that local government can make,” he said.
The current longest-serving councillor, Ferguson, had a brief slideshow going back to 1987 when he was first elected.
He noted that the inauguration marked 25 years of service on council for him.
“Any time that phone rings, I’m always available,” Ferguson said.
The new council has seen significant turnover compared to most recent elections. Former mayor Jack Froese chose not to run again after three terms, and long-serving councillors Bob Long and David Davis also chose not to run.
The new council will get to grips with policy at its next regular meeting, on Monday, Nov. 14 from 1 to 6 p.m.
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