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Pros, cons of congestion improvement sales tax to be debated at chamber

Pointed debate on proposed 0.5 per cent tax expected at Tuesday's meeting.

Many people are unaware of the upcoming transportation and transit plebiscite or what it means for Langley and Metro Vancouver.

Business people can register for the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce’s Jan. 20 dinner meeting to learn how this plan will affect them and their businesses.

“Although the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce has stated that it is not supporting the plebiscite, our board has invested a significant amount of time on the issue and we want to give our members an opportunity to be informed as well,” said chamber president Kristine Simpson.

“Mike Buda, executive director of the Mayors Council, will provide an introduction of the plan followed by a debate of the pros and cons with representatives from the “no” campaign and the “yes” campaign.”

Bill Tieleman of the "Yes" campaign will present his side's position, while Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation will give his reasons to oppose the tax.

The January dinner meeting will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 20 in the Cascades Casino Resort Ballroom (20393 Fraser Highway, Langley) with networking from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Dinner and presentations will follow.

The cost of this meeting is $35 plus GST for chamber members and $50 plus GST for non-members. Registration closes Friday, Jan. 16 at 5 p.m.

There is limited seating for this event so register early. People can register by calling the Chamber office at 604-530-6656 or by visiting the Chamber website at www.langleychamber.com.

The chamber also has two other events planned in January.

One returning event this year is Open Late for Business which is a popular monthly networking event that showcases a chamber member business. The other event is fresh for 2015, the chamber’s Lunch and Learn workshops, where you spend your lunch break in the chamber office and get one-on-one information from an expert in a small group setting.

“When the chamber plans an event, our focus is on education and networking opportunities for our members,” said Simpson. “We are starting off the calendar year with some great events to help business people learn and connect. We are working on a lot of new and exciting ideas for the rest of 2015 too.”

The January Lunch and Learn, “Build Your Business with Constant Contact … More Than Just Email,” is on Wednesday, Jan. 21 in the chamber boardroom (#1 – 5761 Glover Road, Langley) from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Participants will spend their lunch break with authorized local Constant Contact expert, Sherri-Lee Woycik, and learn why email marketing is a crucial part of your marketing plan and how easy it is to implement it with Constant Contact. Cost to chamber members is  $10 plus GST, but there are only 10 seats available, so register early.

The January Open Late for Business, hosted by the Langley Senior Resources Society, takes place on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 20605 51B Avenue from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Chamber members can register for this free networking event and enjoy complimentary beverages and appetizers, facility tour, presentations and a business card draw.

People can register for any event by calling the chamber office at 604-530-6656 or by visiting the chamber website.