Shelley Coburn
Program coordinator, age not provided
Blacklock area resident who’s lived in Langley 40+ years
Serving on the Langley board of education has prepared me to take on the challenges we are facing at this critical point in our development.
I want to ensure that the solutions are inclusive, accessible, affordable, and that they make sense.
My background includes government relations, property development, and non-profits.
With the cost of living being what it is, coming from my background, I know how to do more with less and I will be looking at increasing efficiencies for your tax dollars.
I am a proud mother of two adult sons, and I love this little City.
We have an opportunity to prepare for our future in a way that ensures Langley City will always be the place to be.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shelleyfcoburn/
Phone: 604-868-1114
Have you held office in past? If so, please specify: Yes. I am currently serving my second term on the Langley Board of Education. I was first elected in 2014 and in 2018 I was re-elected.
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CLICK TO CHECK OUT OUR FULL ELECTION GUIDE ONLINE
Questions:
(These answers are presented as the candidates submitted them)
1. Should Langley City have its own, separate RCMP detachment?
No. There is no point in separating already combined services that well support the community. Not having to deal with cross jurisdiction when none currently exists does not make sense. It is only adding an extra layer of bureaucracy when this is the last thing we need. We need to be looking for efficiencies and not looking to increase costs by duplicating a well-established service. It is pointless to separate the two when there is no physical barrier between us and the Township.
2. Should the City create a performing arts venue within the next council term?
No. This has been on the table for discussion for as long as I can remember. I put this in a nice to have category and after the pandemic and with the rising cost living. It is just hard to justify this expenditure now.
3. Does the City need more overpasses to reduce train-caused traffic delays?
Yes.
4. Should the City set targets for the creation of more low-income and seniors rental spaces, social housing units, and/or co-op development to improve home security?
Yes.
5. Are City taxes too high?
No.
6. Is the City’s population growing too fast?
No, it is not.
The City has experienced growth and luckily, thus far, it is manageable.
We must be proactive now, before our growth becomes out of control.
This means we need to plan and prepare, and make sure we have the right infrastructure in place if we are expecting to be able to meet the needs created as a result of the redevelopment that we are seeing in so many of our neighbourhoods.
7. Should the City institute pay parking in some downtown areas?
No.
8. Will the arrival of SkyTrain change Langley City for the better?
Yes. The SkyTrain is coming, and it could go either way, but I want it to go well. What this requires is for the City to have a comprehensive plan of all that will need to be in place before the arrival of SkyTrain. This means consulting the public on what they would like to see. We have such a unique opportunity to design our City for the future and if we do it well this will help ensure liveability and viability for generations to come.
9. Can municipal staff and council do more to attract new green and high-tech businesses to open in Langley City?
Yes.
10. Does the City have a handle on the problems created by homelessness?
No.
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
How the questions were presented to each candidate
Langley Advance Times readers have repeatedly told us how much they value this important, straight-forward reference guide that helps orient them with the range of choices on the ballots – both at the council and school board levels.
Towards that end, we have attempted to make this package available (along with the following instructions) to each of the candidates in a timely fashion ahead of the Oct. 15 election.
Please read carefully before you start to fill this out.
To help voters in Langley make their choices on election day, the Langley Advance Times is asking local candidates 10 issue-based questions.
You must provide a ‘yes,’ a ‘no,’ or a ‘don’t know’ (Y, N, D) response to EACH of these questions.
Each question MUST be answered with yes (Y), no (N), or Don’t Know (D). This will be published in a grid in the Oct. 6 edition. Any questions not answered will be LEFT BLANK.
Candidates may also expand on ANY OR ALL of these questions (to a maximum of 200 words each). Please note any responses longer than that will be cut off at the 201-word mark.
Due to space limitations, we can only guarantee to run one of these answers in the Langley Advance Times print edition ahead of the election. You must CLEARLY indicate which expanded answer you want to see published in print. If you do not specify, we will choose. Any and all expanded answers provided will be published online at www.langleyadvancetimes.com.
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