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Langley City
Mayor takes leave – no election Councillors will shoulder the work of Langley City’s mayor for the next 16 months. by Heather Colpitts
hcolpitts@langleyadvance.com
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Langley City council won’t have a by-election to fill the mayor’s chair. At Monday’s council meeting, a majority of councillors voted to have an acting mayor until the next election, in the fall of 2014. Mayor Peter Fassbender excused himself from discussions while the rest of council debated what to do now that Fassbender has been elected MLA for SurreyFleetwood and has been named to cabinet as the B.C. Minister of Education. “I love this community and stepping away is not View easy,” he said. video & June 17 was Fassbender’s last photos Heather Colpitts/Langley Advance council meetwith ing. He will be City Councillors Rosemary Wallace and Ted Schaffer bid an official farewell to Mayor Peter in the mayor’s Fassbender at the close of the June 17 council meeting. office until early or online between the Council recently decided to spend A by-election July then goes on Heather Colpitts/Langley Advance mayor and $236,000 on downtown signage. would have an unpaid leave City Councillor Gayle Martin presented a staff before “Why shouldn’t the people be been held in of absence until farewell gift on behalf of council to Mayor council had able to decide,” he said. September. January 2014 at a chance to Hall noted that Canada has an Coun. Jack which time he will Peter Fassbender. have any appointed Senate and look at the Arnold said officially resign. discussions. Hall was also critical mess that is in. that’s too close to the fall of 2014 That saves the City from havof council’s reluctance to allow “The motion sets up something regular election. ing to have a by-election which someone new onto council and akin to the Politburo [the former “People I’ve talked to on the would cost at least $45,000. said a new person would bring a Soviet Union’s unelected political street don’t want to have two “Make no mistake that this new perspective and would not policy making body],” Hall comelections in one year,” he said, motion is just intending to block be so easily led by staff. mented. adding “I think we’ve been a by-election,” commented Councillor Gayle Martin, who The rest of council disagreed around long enough to handle Councillor Dave Hall. was chairing the debate in the with Hall’s points. things.” He launched into a rebuke of mayor’s absence, asked Hall “I think this council has been Mel Kositsky, the former the council move which he conto stick to the motion and Hall directed well by staff,” said Coun. Township councillor, will have siders undemocratic. replied that his comments were Rosemary Wallace, “and has had to wait a little longer to return to He commented that the void in healthy debates.” the political arena. the mayor’s chair “has existed for “perfectly pertinent.” He went on to criticize counCoun. Ted Schaffer said council “It gives me more time to premonths” because of the provincil for wanting to save money was elected to make decisions on pare,” he said after the council cial campaigning. on a by-election but deciding behalf of City residents, and this meeting. “I’ll be a regular visitor Hall said he knows there was to spend thousands on signage. is one such decision. here.” discussion about this route
Police
Citizens’ patrol takes drinking driver off street A suspected drunk driver and perpetrators of vehicular crimes were caught by local residents.
by Matthew Claxton
mclaxton@langleyadvance.com
Two Citizen’s Patrol groups helped Langley RCMP scoop up a stolen car and stop a drunk driver in one evening last week. On Friday, June 14, an Aldergrove group
found a vehicle with stolen licence plates attached, said Const. Craig Van Herk. Police officers arrived and found that the car was uninsured. A second car, also with stolen plates was found nearby. This time, the car itself was also stolen from the same neighbourhood, three days earlier. Meanwhile in Brookswood, another Citizen’s Patrol group spotted a driver heading by with open alcohol in his car. The driver was pulled over by police and
they started an impaired driving investigation, said Van Herk. “Our Citizens Patrol are a very dedicated group of volunteers who are regularly contributing significant amounts of their time in a pro-active effort to keep our community safer,” said Supt. Derek Cooke, the head of the Langley RCMP detachment. “Over the years they have been instrumental in both preventing and solving many crimes.” The patrollers are trained to watch for and report suspicious activities in their communities.