Election and Committees


Commission and Committee Appointments

When is the next election?

Since 1990, BC general local elections for mayors, councillors, regional district electoral area directors, school board trustees and Island Trust trustees have been held every three years. General voting day is always the third Saturday in November. The next election is on Saturday, November 15, 2008.

2008 Mark Your Calendars!

August 23

Candidates information packages will be available

August 24 - September 23

Advance Voter Registration

September 30

Nomination period begins at 9:00 am

October 10

Nomination period closes at 4:00 pm

October 17

Last date for a candidate to withdraw by 4:00 pm

November 4

 

Advance Voting 1 pm to 8 pm at Timms Community Centre, 20355 Douglas Crescent      

November 5

 

Advance Voting 8 am to 8 pm at Timms Community Centre, 20355 Douglas Crescent

November 6

Advance Voting 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at Timms Community Centre, 20355 Douglas Crescent

November 12

Advance Voting 8 am to 8 pm at Timms Community Centre, 20355 Douglas Crescent

November 15

General Voting Day 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at Nicomekl Elementary School,  20050 – 53 Avenue

November 15

Unofficial election results announced after voting closes and votes counted

November 19

The official elections results are to be declared (last possible day for declartion by 4:00 pm)

December 1

Inaugural Council Meeting at 2:00 pm City Hall Council Chambers (Mayor and Councillors to be sworn in)

 

Do I qualify to vote?

You may vote in a BC local election as a resident elector if you:

are a Canadian citizen

are 18 years of age or more on general voting day

have lived in BC for at least 6 months before you register to vote; and

have lived in the City of Langley for 30 days or more before you register to vote

are a person listed on the title of a property within the City of Langley

I own property somewhere else in BC - can I vote there also?

As a non-resident property owner -- you own property in one place but live in another -- you have the right to vote both where you live and where you own property.

You may vote in a BC local election as a non-resident property elector if you:

are not a resident in that community

are a Canadian citizen

are 18 years of age or more on general voting day

have lived in BC for at least 6 months before you register to vote

What do I need to Know if I am interested in running for office?

Download Election / Council Fact Sheets Document

Term of Office

If you are elected to local office, you will be expected to serve a three-year term. This term will officially begin on the first Monday after the first day of December following the election.

Time Commitment

You should be aware that holding office can be time consuming. In addition to regular meetings - usually one evening per week for City Council - you may be asked to sit on special committees, boards or commissions that also require significant time. You might consider talking to someone currently in local office to find out how much time you will be expected to commit.

Remuneration

Mayor and Council members receive remuneration in the City of Langley in recognition of the time and energy that they devote to the community.

The Mayors remuneration is $56,210 (2008)
The remuneration of each Councillor is $22,484 (2008)

The new rates as of December 1, 2008 are based on a salary survey conducted of 14 municipalities of similar size in May 2007.

One third of remuneration is tax free.

Who May Run

You may run for local government office if you:

are a Canadian citizen

are at least 18 years old on election day

have lived in BC for at least the last 6 months; and

have not been disqualified from voting in a BC local election

You do not have to live in the jurisdiction in which you are running for office.

For further information regarding voter eligibility you may contact:

Corporate Officer
City of Langley
20399 Douglas Crescent
Langley BC, V3A 4B3
Phone: (604) 514-2803
Fax: (604) 514-2838

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Commission and Committee Appointments

What do Commissions and Committees do?

The City of Langley welcomes interested residents to become involved in their community by participating as a member of one of its commissions and committees.  The  general purpose of these commissions and committees are to act as advisors to Council on specific issues and report back to Council on the result of their work.  Council takes into consideration the input provided by these groups when making decisions at the Council table.

Who can be members of the Commissions and Committees?

These groups are made up of members of the public who are residents of the City of Langley and representatives from other organizations such as the School Board, Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Langley Merchants Association, the Langley Field Naturalists, H.D. Stafford Secondary to name a few.  One or two members of Council may be named to a commission or committee.  As well, there are staff members who attend these meetings to act as a resource, providing information on City operations and existing policies. 

What is expected of a Commission or a Committee Member?

The commissions and committees usually meet once a month.  There are no meetings held in the month of August.  The vast majority of the meetings are held at City Hall in the CKF Room, starting at 7:00 p.m.  Appointments to a committee or a commission is for a one year term, beginning on January 1.  If Council so approves, a member can serve on a specific Commission or Committee for more than one year.  If a Commission or Committee Member fails to attend three consecutive meetings, that person is removed from the Commission or Committee.

Members of the Commissions and Committees do not receive any money for serving on the commission or committee.  Members are invited to the annual Volunteer Banquet which takes place in February each year. 

What are the various Commissions and Committees?

Advisory Planning Commission – 2nd Wednesday of the month

The Advisory Planning Commission (“APC”) is an advisory body which reviews planning applications such as amendments to the Official Community Plan, rezoning applications, development permit applications and other planning related permits.  This commission provides advice to Council on all matters respecting land use, community or proposed bylaws and permits.  Members of this committee must be residents of the City of Langley or eligible to vote in municipal elections as a non-resident property owner. 

Canadian Pacific Railway, City of Langley, Township of Langley Community Advisory Panel – One meeting every three months on the 3rd Thursday of the month

The purpose of the CPR Advisory Panel is to provide a forum for the exchange of information between the Canadian Pacific Railway, the City and the Township, to provide recommendations on specific issues as required and to assist in the resolution of issues between CPR and the two communities.

Communities in Bloom Committee – 2nd Wednesday of the month for most months, more frequent meetings during May, June and July

The purpose of the Communities in Bloom Committee (“CIB”) is to plan, prepare, organize, promote, participate and implement community events and initiatives that are necessary in promoting the goals and philosophy of the national Communities in Bloom program.  In addition to the meetings, this committee is very active in the community events.

Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission – 1st Thursday of the month

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (“P and R”) makes recommendations to Council concerning parks and recreation issues, long range planning and programming and promotion of community events.

Police Advisory Committee – 3rd Wednesday of the month

The Police Advisory Committee (“PAC”) is responsible for developing and making recommendations to Council on the strategic objectives, priorities and goals of the. R.C.M.P., making recommendations on the financial and resource planning of the R.C.M.P. for the next fiscal year, assisting in the development of policies and programs designed to enhance public safety and considering items referred to it by Council.

Public Art Advisory Committee– 3rd Wednesday of the month

The purpose of the Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) is to:

(a)        Develop and monitor the annual work plan and budget;

(b)        Ensure the care, conservation and management of the public art collection;

(c)        Set policy, procedures and criteria to ensure an equitable process for the creation, selection and placement of public art works;

(d)        Maintain an updated public art inventory and artist registry;

(e)        Develop a communications strategy for public art; and

(f)         Monitor and evaluate the Public Art Program


How do I apply to become a member?

The City places advertisements in the newspaper in the fall, inviting residents to apply to serve on these commissions and committees.  Please send a letter stating your interest and a brief resume to the Administration Department by the deadline date.  You are welcome to apply for more than one committee or commission but please indicate your preference as to which commission or committee you would prefer to serve on.  In fairness to all, people are generally only appointed to serve on one commission or committee at a time.

Once the applications are received, the applications are reviewed and the selections are made by Council towards the end of November / beginning of December.  All applicants are notified as to the result of Council’s decision.  Members of the commissions and committees are informed of the first meeting of their specific group in the upcoming year.

If you are interested in serving on one of these commissions or committees at any time, please contact the Administration Department.  We will retain your contact information so that we can inform you about the deadlines for submissions in the fall.

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