Langley City elects Nathan Pachal mayor

Nathan Pachal has been elected mayor of Langley Cuty.

Results from the localelections.ca site show Pachal defeated incumbent mayor Val van den Broek, taking two-thirds of the vote.

Incumbent councillors Paul Albrecht, Rosemary Wallace and Teri James were re-elected, with newcomers Mike Solyom, Leith White and Delaney Mack.

Langley City voters were deciding whether to give the incumbent mayor a second term, or to replace her with councillor Nathan Pachal.

Van den Broek often clashed with council during her first term, with a majority of councillors voting to remove the mayor from her position as City representative on the Metro Vancover board of directors, ordering three investigations over a mayor’s fundraising gala and censuring her for “conduct unbecoming a member of City council.”

For her part, van den Broek defended the gala, which raised $56,000 for the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation to buy equipment to detect ovarian and breast cancer, and said she was the target of bullying by members of council that included “name calling, intimidation, personal attacks and facial mocking and mimicking.”

READ ALSO: IN THE CITY’S MAYORALTY RACE: Val van den Broek

She was running on her record, saying in her campaign literature she has been a “full time mayor” who will continue “working hard.”

While van den Broek didn’t have a slate, she endorsed candidates Leith White, Delaney Mack, Dave Stingl, and Cherise Okeymow, none of them incumbents.

Nathan Pachal’s notation papers were signed by fellow councillor Teri James, and he was believed to have the support of other incumbents.

Pachal was first elected to City council in 2016 in a byelection to replace the late Coun. Dave Hall. He had previously run in 2014.

He retained his seat in the following municipal election in 2018.

Pachal has promised he will work as “facilitator” on council, “working with other councillors, our provincial and federal governments to increase affordable housing and reduce homelessness.”

READ ALSO: IN THE CITY’S MAYORALTY RACE: Nathan Pachal

There were 30,000 eligible voters, with 20,538 registered.

Chief election officer Kelly Kenney said 1,442 people cast advance ballot in four advance voting opportunities, up “slightly” from 2018, the election that saw van den Broek defeat former City mayor Peter Fassbender.

There were 14 candidates for the six council seats, but both school board seats were elected by acclamation, as there were only two candidates, Candy Ashdown and Tony Ward.