Editor: Last time I checked, we lived in an open democracy. I always thought this to mean that, through due process and general, fair and open public consultation, the electorate could vote on and decide issues that face our City and Township.
Our elected council acting on our behalf would then manage these issues and spend our tax dollars appropriately.
Over the last year, actions by several members of the current Township council and Mayor Jack Froese have raised some alarming red flags that seem to point to a lack of due public process being followed on several important issues facing taxpayers.
Time after time in the news lately, I am reading about how special interest groups (such as universities and churches) seem to be operating extremely close to our council, in order to get favoured financial and land deals.
I ask, is this not a conflict of interest, or even illegal?
Are church and state not separate in Langley? A recent letter published in The Province newspaper, regarding local land deals and tax spending in relation to Trinity Western University and our current Township council and mayor are incredibly disturbing.
Here are a few more recent events to jog your memory:
• Fort Langley development was pushed through, despite significant community objection. Who stands to gain from this? Follow the trail of players and see which interest groups they belong to.
• Langley Events Centre addition — pushed through council and approved without public consultation for millions of your taxpayer dollars, very quickly. Why? How?
• Aldergrove pool and recreation centre project proposal, rapidly pushed through.
• Trinity Western University expansion on former ALR land and Wall farm development land deals, all tied back directly to our council and mayor. These are also being pushed through, despite considerable public objection.
• We’ve had members of the public removed and barred from public council sessions for stating objections to the council and mayor’s questionable actions and policies.
Why? This is not democratic. It is our civic right, and part of our due process.
There needs to be an immediate investigation of our council and its ties to local special interest groups.
There appears to be a serious conflict of interest taking place on our current council. Council is diverting projects, making land deals, and committing large sums of taxpayer dollars directly to those interests, which most certainly do not represent the wishes of the diverse electorate here in Langley.
D. Crawford
Langley