The Langley Record: 5/24/09

Friday, May 29, 2009

Mayor Green and Councillor Richter Had It All Wrong

By Langley Record Special Editor Reed Fraser

On Monday, Langley Township council received the audited financial statements for the municipality for 2008. The statements are, yet again, a vindication of the exemplary work of Langley Township staff, and the previous council, including former Mayor of the Township, Kurt Alberts, while at the same time an indictment of Councillor Kim Richter and Mayor Rick Green's "The Sky is Falling" Chicken Little act that got them elected in November.

Despite the constant refrain for the last few years from the councillor representing the Township landed gentry and rural elite -- Kim Richter -- that her fellow councillors were spending money like drunken sailors, and the municipality was wallowing in dept, finances seem to be in pretty good shape at the Township.

Township finance director Hilary Tsikayi notes in an attachment to the audit that Debt and Agreements Payable decreased from $26.8 million in 2007, to $24.8 million in 2008 because there were no significant new debts incurred in 2008.

"The $24.8 million debt for last year is comprised of $21.5 million repayable from Development Cost Charges and $3.3 million in land purchase agreements repayable from future land sales," Tsikayi says. "The Township has no debt payable from current taxation revenue," writes Tsikayi.

The consultants, KPMG Accountants, give high marks to Township senior staff for co-operation, and note that all is in order. KPMG states that the Langley Events Centre, funded by three major sources, the province, the Township and external partners, has "to date" cumulative expenditures of $50 million, with confirmed revenues to match that amount.
The events centre, say the auditors, was funded in part by Victoria, $15 million, with the same amount from the Langley Development Group, Trinity Western University sprung for $3.5 million, Langley School District $3 million and Langley Gymnasium (sic) put up $1 million, with the Township providing the balance, $19.5 million.

Was the tight-bunned Richter, or her Jolly Green compatriot heard to say, Well, it looks like we we've been proven wrong again? Not bloody likely. Richter has been so strident in her false claims of financial doom, while at the same time supporting full-time fire crews on the one hand, voting against a budget to finance them with the other, all the while ignoring supposed NDP social values and passing the buck to the province on seniors' assisted living housing and arguing that the gentleman farmer's market deserves a larger than normal community grant, that it is too late for her to start listening to a voice of reason, an independent and respected chartered accounting firm.

And what do they know anyway, that Richter doesn't, after all, the councillor for the horsey set is a business professor, even if her mind has been tightly constrained from examining new ideas, by a bun tied too tight at the back of her head, for years.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Mayor's Report Refreshing - Same Old Anger From Richter

*** Update May 26, 2009 ***

We spoke with several informants about last night's ToL Council meetings. The afternoon meeting was punctuated by a vicious assault on a Fort Langley art gallery and Tourism Langley. It's a well-know fact that Richter has deep-seated hatred for the Langley Regional Airport, Tourism Langley, and several other groups and their management.

Yesterday was beyond expectation as Cllr. Richter first praised Tourism Langley for a packet of colourful promotional brochures, and then lashed out like a second ego at their use of a photo of a beautiful heritage building that is home to a well-known art gallery in the Township. Of course the attack was especially vicious and vindictive, as the gallery is owned by the former Township mayor and his wife. Richter asked staff to investigate if other galleries were afforded the opportunity to be photographed and how this gallery was selected. Perhaps Richter should get out of her elite south Langley estate and visit the other galleries to find that most are in strip-mall locations and not in beautiful heritage homes?

With Richter's ultra-ego primed, she also offered up what must be her eighth scalding attack on the poor old Langley Lodge Society that serves many elderly Township residents and is trying desperately to raise funds to expand. Richter and Kositsky ignore the fact that this facility doesn't qualify for BC Housing or Fraser Health monies, and insist on sending the request for a grant back to staff to waste more staff time. Kositsky seems to do no more than be grumpy and pour on layer after layer of red tape this term. What's up with that? Councillors should be helping the community do what needs to be done, not creating roadblocks and red tape.

In the process of Richter attacking this community asset (the Langley Lodge Society), Richter then launched into a very upsetting attack on the Salvation Army and their soon to open Gateway of Hope facility. Richter first said that at least the Gateway of Hope was tackling a social problem (homelessness) in the community (like the Langley Lodge doesn't), but then she went for the throat of the Salvation Army by saying she did not realize that the ToL offered $1M in funding over 20 years to the Gateway of Hope. Was she sleeping during these council meetings? What numerous issues of the local newspapers did she not read folks?

Richter's attack on the Salvation Army is very detestable an Councillor Kim Richter should hang her head in shame. Shame, shame on you Kim. Mayor Green had his head down during the whole discussion and it looked like Mayor Green wanted to crawl under his desk due to Richter's comments. We thinks Mayor Green is getting a good taste of Councillor Kim Richter and is not foolish enough to overlook her caustic nature and hatred that could spill over to him if he lets it. We think he is smarter than that and is seeing the light.

Next the Kwantlen-suported farmer's market came in with a presentation and said they weren't there to ask for anything. In the end, they were looking for $3,000 from the ToL to cover shoppers parking at the market. While the farmer's market will be a great community asset and the society that runs it is non-profit, still the sellers will make money from this venture, and this is why they signed up. The sellers also made sure that this Langley Farmer's Market would be held on Wednesdays so as not to interfere with their Saturday farmer's market sales where they get higher prices for their produce.

The same Councillor Kim Richter that assails the Langley Lodge Society and the Salvation Army, constantly referring funding requests to the budget or grant processes then offered the Kwantlen-sanctioned farmer's market $3,000, which is $500 more than the usual Community Grant of $2,500, and this comes after the Township grant application process has closed and grants for 2009 have been awarded. Richter wanted this $3,000 to be approved immediately by council without any application or in-camera discussion. Far from her usual insistence that her fellow councillors handle things by advanced Notices of Motions and such. WOW!

Earlier this year the Aldergrove Credit Union had a development permit on the table with ToL council. Councillor Steve Ferguson excused himself from the debate and vote because he wasactive with the credit union's board of directors. Richter serves on the Board of Governors of Kwantlen and is a professor there. The person making the delegation we ae told was a colleague of hers. Is not this a huge conflict of interest for Richter? Should she not have excused herself?

The biggest switch for the good was Mayor Rick Green who deserves a huge pat on the back. The Editorial Board of the Langley Record almost choked on our popcorn as we watched cable TV and heard the Mayor's Report. In a very impressive display of professionalism and team-building, Mayor Green waxed elegant as he discussed various community meetings he (and sometimes his pleasant wife) attended over the past few weeks. As not to leave others out, Mayor Green then went through a list of councillors and meetings they had attended on his behalf, or as representatives of council. Kudos to Mayor Green for extending this much-needed olive branch. This is everything we have been waiting for from this mayor and we truly commend him for this respectful and thoughtful Mayor's Report. Maybe Councillor Richter should watch Mayor Green and take some notes? Despite teaching Organizational Behaviour, she gets a failing grade in practices what she preaches. She certainly doesn't behave well in this council organization.