I will not be running for Council in the Oct. 25 by-election.
When the Township of Langley goes to the polls a week before All Souls Day 2025, I will be tasked with deciding on another candidate to vote for because I will not find my own name on the ballot.
I did not come to this decision lightly.
As many know, municipal elections have a very low barrier to entry. Unlike provincial and federal elections, there is no massive signature-gathering process to go through to run in a civic election.
I have run in many different capacities for public office, including all three electable roles within municipal politics. I ran for Mayor in 2018, I ran for School Trustee in a by-election in 2021, and I ran for Council in 2022. I have considered it my civic duty to get my name on as many ballots as possible to help give options to voters who do not identify with the politicians that serve special interest groups and irresponsibly spend money.
But this time I will be sitting out, mainly because of timing.
Fall elections are always difficult for me to participate in because of my line of work. The Thanksgiving holiday is a key time of year for us and it requires a certain level of attentiveness to ensure Langley has a full assortment of seasonal meats for their Thanksgiving Dinner table.
On top of that, my family has a week of vacation planned for the week after Thanksgiving, a key time for campaigning for this Oct. 25 election. It would be difficult to be present for my family on the trip if I had this election campaign on my mind, and difficult to participate in community events that likely would be occurring that week.
There are a couple of big names already committed to running, so it is likely that the new ToL councillor will be a known-entity. Whether Blair Whitmarsh or Jon Aldag, voters have no excuse to not fully understand what they’re voting for in either of those. There will be a handful of competitors, but this election will not be won by having the best ideas but will be won by having the deepest connections to special interest groups to provide campaign funds. Like local political narrator Brad Richert recently wrote, winning this by-election will likely cost far more than the $64,630 salary the counillor will make over the next year before the 2026 general civic elections.
I will again be on that ballot in 2026. Whether it is running at large for one of the eight council spots, for one of the ToL’s spots on the school board, or if it is for mayor, to challenge Eric Woodward, I have not yet decided.
Below are some key issues that I WOULD have run on had I joined the race. Please, ask the candidates what THEIR thoughts are.
My previous platforms can be read here: https://alexjoehl.com/municipal-platform Most is still relevant today. What’s there?
Policing – end our contract with the RCMP
Housing – let’s allow building to be profitable again
Ward System – redraw how we elect councillors to increase representation and accountability.
What would I add in 2025?
- Spending has to stop.
- How do the debt servicing costs affect the budget and the budget of future councils?
- Bad habits – we can’t just spend for the sake of spending. ToL must act like a business.
- Political gain – Is the party that has a majority on council just buying votes for future elections?
- Maintaining current infrastructure a priority – Major novelle capital projects need to be halted and thrown to the back of the priority pile. There are many maintenance and upgrade projects that deserve attention.
- Legal Fees – For how much are taxpayers footing the bill because our politicians won’t play by the rules and accept No for an answer.
- Stop the talk of Amalgamation – There are two separate Langleys for a reason. The City & the Township have very different needs and demographics and I support them both having autonomy over political decision making.