Jonathan Houweling
Running for council in Langley Township
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Business insurance and enterpreneur, 30
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• Have you held office in past? If so, please specify: No
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Candidate provided bio: I’m running for council to represent families, to promote agriculture and local business, and offer ideas, discernment, and values. Langley is where I grew up, do business, and where my family thrives. It’s where I pay a mortgage and property tax, use services, and commute.
Langley’s a great community that can still improve; by enhancing economic opportunity and promoting local products; by honouring individuals, families, and seniors; by reducing congestion and inefficiencies, while proactively developing infrastructure and neighbourhoods with creativity, vision, and collaboration.
Marriage and family is teaching me compassion, service, and responsible planning. Growing up in agriculture, volunteering locally and internationally, managing risk, and even doing Glow Christmas has taught me work ethic and the importance of detail. This candidacy has taught me to listen and maintain balance.
I am offering myself to serve, defend, and fight for our Township. I’m truly honoured with your vote.
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Website: www.votehouweling.com
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Facebook: @votehouweling
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Phone: 778-999-4385
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• Who is your favourite superhero, and why? Thor, he’s got great hair.
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There are 23 candidates running for eight Langley Township council seats. The following are questions asked of each candidate hopeful. They were directed to provide a minimum of a Yes, No, or Don’t Know answer, and given an option to expand on one answer in print (to a maximum of 100 words per question). They could expand on all questions online, if they wished to do so. The following are their replies.
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Questions and Answers:
1. What neighbourhood of Langley do you live in?
Answer: Willoughby
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2. How many years have you lived in Langley?
Answer: 29 of my 30 years
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3. How many Langley Township council meetings have you attended in the past year?
Answer: 11 or 12 (All except two or three)
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4: Should the municipality be directly funding social housing to reduce homelessness?
Answer: Yes. Municipalities should look for funding partnerships with active and engaged community
organizations. I believe municipal partnerships would administer funds more effectively than other
levels of government or the municipality acting on its own.
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5. Do you support elevated rail over light rapid transit from Surrey to Langley?
Answer: Yes. The data suggests elevated rail is safer, moves people more efficiently, and has more stable
operating costs long term.
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6. Should the municipality fund an arts centre?
Answer: No. An arts facility would be great but there are greater needs than a new arts facility at this time.
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7. Would you vote to raise taxes to hire more police?
Answer: No. The RCMP officers I’ve talked with believe simply hiring more officers is not the most effective
solution to reducing their most time consuming tasks.
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8. Does Langleys need a new or second hospital to serve the growing population?
Answer: Yes. However, it’s more likely we’d receive funding for the expansion of Langley Memorial. I would support this and push heavily for more primary care facilities. Encouragingly, Cloverdale/Clayton is also a likely candidate for an entirely new hospital.
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9. Does Willoughby need its own dedicated library?
Answer: No. A library would be wonderful, but there are greater needs at this time.
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10. Is there enough effort being made to preserve farmland?
Answer: No. I believe that farmland is possibly our greatest asset and it’s vastly under-utilized. Inactive farm
land is nice to look at but our goal must be to farm it. In doing so, we have a clear opportunity to become
a more productive, self-sufficient, and food abundant community.
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11. Should Langley allow construction of residential towers?
Answer: Yes.
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12. Should Langley have its own municipal police force, replacing the RCMP?
Answer: Not Sure. Since the RCMP contract is our largest expense it should be looked at objectively and
analyzed with utmost care. I would support an objective and balanced report on this issue.
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13. Do you think residential property taxes are too high?
Answer: Yes. I believe there is room to save expense through creative and both traditional / innovative
approaches.
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14. Do you support the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline?
Answer: Yes. Pipeline is proven to be much safer overall than transportation via truck or rail. Enviromental
protection measures must be diligently enforced however.
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15. Should the municipality offer tax breaks, incentives, or rebates to companies looking to set up shop here?
Answer: Yes. Incentives should be administered in partnership or by using matching / proportionate methodology.
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16. Is Langley being pushed to grow too fast?
Answer: Yes. Our infrastructure, roads, medical services, and schools particularly, need a little time to catch up.
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17. Do you support redevelopment of Fort Langley’s downtown?
Answer: Yes. I support any clean private investment that brings positive benefit to a community.
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18. Should development of Brookswood be phased in?
Answer: Yes. We should be careful, however, not to over-regulate and either increase housing costs or scare
investment away.
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19. Should the Township set a deadline to finish widening 208th Street in Willoughby?
Answer: Yes. It needs to be done.
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20. Should there be a limit to the number of consecutive terms a member of council can serve?
Answer: No. The people of Langley should always have the right and choice to choose whosever they feel is the
most capable and qualified.