Michael Pratt is making a second bid for a seat on the Township of Langley Council, promising a new vision for what the future of the Township can be.
In 2018, Pratt narrowly missed winning a seat in his first campaign, finishing 10th with 8,169 votes, behind ninth-place incumbent councillor Angle Quaale who had 8,440 votes, and Margaret Kunst, who was elected to the eighth council seat with 8,543.
With the experience of the previous campaign behind him and four more years of observing Langley affairs, Pratt said he was even more committed to gaining a seat on Council in his May 18 announcement.
“We need some new ideas on Council and a renewed commitment to the taxpayer and resident. What I’ve seen the last four years is a neglect to make the difficult decisions that are in the best interest of the community,” Pratt commented.
“Langley is the second fastest growing municipality in the entire province of B.C.C, and it is very important that Council has someone that understands that we can’t just be focused on making one, two, or four4-year decisions” said Pratt, “we need to be planning and governing with the next 40 years in mind”.
Born and raised in Langley, Pratt, along with his sister, was responsible for the creation of the “Walk to Remember” at the Derek Doubleday Arboretum. It’s the only memorial of its kind in Canada, with trees being planted to represent the Canadian soldiers who fell during the war in Afghanistan.
He is completing his Master’s Degree in Urban Studies at Simon Fraser University while also working full-time.
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“We need a community that is livable, vibrant, and safe. We can’t afford these to be buzzwords and platitudes any longer. My platform, which is based on the pillars of building trust and creating a vibrant community, will demonstrate that there are actions we can - and must - take now to ensure we are creating that type of community.”
Pratt said this summer will be spent knocking on doors and meeting with voters across the Township, with a gradual release of his “refreshing platform” into the fall.
Pratt closed by saying, “Langley has been a great community to grow up in. Growth may be inevitable, but we need to do it the right way, and it is going to take a bold, new vision to do so. I believe that I have a vision that will work to preserve what makes Langley unique while also managing the growth that contributes to a vibrant, livable city. I want the Township of Langley to continue to be a community that we are all proud to call home.”
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