Langley City Council has tightened up the language of a 2019 policy that governs the use of the municipal coat of arms, something that became an issue in 2020 after controversy erupted over a fundraising gala organized by then-mayor Val van den Broek.
A Feb. 7 report to council on updating the policy by Samantha Paulson, City Communications Officer, said the 2019 wording did not specifically cover the use of the City’s corporate identity and brand by council members, or the process for approving its usage, or its use during an election.
Under the updated policy, which covers members of council, City employees, stakeholders “and persons working on behalf of the City as well as candidates,” requests to use the logo must be submitted in writing and must go to a regular meeting of council for a vote.
It states that “unless a resolution by City council has been obtained, any other use of the coat of arms outside of corporate activities are prohibited.”
At their Monday, Feb 13 council meeting, current mayor Nathan Pachal and council quickly approved the changes by unanimous vote, without debate.
The Wonderland-themed “Mayor’s Gala” fundraiser, held on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, raised $56,000 for women’s health programs at Langley Memorial Hospital, but quickly turned into a long-running debate over RCMP involvement and the use of the City logo without authorization.
Following the gala, van den Broek said she did, in error, use a City crest, in an ad thanking people for making the gala happen. She said she found out too late that it wasn’t allowed.
Another gala issue that consumed considerable council time concerned the attendance of 35 Langley RCMP members at the gala, 19 of them with spouses or guests, who bought 54 tickets for a total value of $8,100.
Supt. Murray Power, the officer-in-charge of the Langley RCMP detachment, was reassigned without explanation after reports surfaced about an email where he suggested officers could pay for gala tickets by working overtime.
RCMP later said only one officer who attended the event had worked four hours overtime to cover the ticket cost, making $361.44.
READ ALSO: Langley RCMP officers used ‘own money’ to attend mayor’s gala, senior officer says
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