Township council, February 23: the draft budget moves ahead, a fire safety educator is added and a soil dumping plan is stopped
Township council endorsed its draft 2026-2030 financial plans, added a fire life safety educator to the budget, refused a large soil deposit application and named its chief election officer.
- Meeting
- Regular Council Meeting, Monday, February 23, 2026, 1:30 pm, Fraser River Presentation Theatre, Township Civic Facility, 20338 65 Avenue
- Official record
- Minutes (PDF) · Agenda and staff reports (PDF)
This was a long day: the meeting ran to 7:59 pm. Most of it was spent on the budget.
The draft budget moves forward
Council endorsed the draft 2026–2030 Universal Services Operating, Library Services and Capital Financial Plans for further consideration, and told staff to prepare the Five-Year Financial Plan bylaw. The vote was 5–4, with Councillors Kunst, Martens, Richter and Whitmarsh opposed. That split held through the rest of the budget process (see our March 9 and March 23 recaps).
Along the way:
- Fire Life Safety Educator. Councillor Martens’s motion to add one position for fire prevention and public education carried, with Councillor Baillie opposed.
- Budget open house. A motion to hold a public open house before first reading of the budget bylaw was defeated.
- Long-term fiscal plan. Councillor Whitmarsh’s motion for a plan with debt-reduction targets and reserve rebuilding was deferred to March 9.
A soil deposit application is stopped
The owners of 4262 224 Street had applied to bring in about 60,000 cubic metres of soil, roughly 8,700 truckloads. Their delegation said the plan was to improve drainage and turn the land into a blueberry farm and equestrian school, with trucks running weekdays only on set routes.
Soil deposits on farmland are a recurring worry in rural Langley: neighbours worry about truck traffic, and about what’s actually in the fill. Council voted not to refer the application to the Agricultural Land Commission and not to process it further, which ends it in its current form.
Getting ready for the October election
Council appointed the Township’s Chief Administrative Officer as Chief Election Officer for the 2026 general local election.
Also
- Adopt-a-Program: council adopted a new Adopt-a-Program Policy.
- Transit grant: an application to Coast Mountain Bus Company for $63,000 toward 2026 transit improvements was approved.
- Aldergrove hall roof: $10,000 from Council Contingency went to the Aldergrove Seniors and Veterans Society’s campaign for a new hall roof.
- Water infrastructure: Councillor Kunst’s motion on recent water infrastructure upgrades (pressure-reducing valve stations, reservoirs and booster stations) was deferred to November 16, 2026, after the election.
More background: Township of Langley council · Who pays for growth: DCCs and ACCs