Building Langley City’s Future: Proposed increases to enhance services

I posted about Langley City’s proposed $111 million investment plan for our community, and specific initiatives that are proposed to be funded this year as part of that plan last week. While these projects are critically important to building Langley City’s future, preparing for the arrival of the SkyTrain, there are also on-going, day-to-day services that are funding from the City’s operating budget.

These operating costs include things such as providing police and fire services, maintaining parks and trails, providing recreation services, funding the library, ensuring our roads and walkways are maintained, and keeping water and sewer services running.

The proposed operating budget for Langley City in 2020 is $43.2 million to deliver these services to residents and businesses in the community.

In order to maintain the same level of service as last year, driven mainly by planned increases in wages and benefits for staff, the operating budget is proposed to increase by $828,850.

In addition to maintaining existing services, Langley City council is proposing to increase the level of services provided as follows:

Increasing Funding to Infrastructure Levey — $100,000
Increases the amount of funding transferred to reserve accounts to help fund the replacement of aging infrastructure such as water and sewer pipes.

Increase Trail Maintenance — $50,000
Ensure that the trail network is kept at a higher standard of maintenance with more frequent mowing, trimming, and cleanup.

Increase Playground Maintenance — $20,000
Ensure that the increase in playground equipment in City parks are well maintained.

Increase Fire Training — $30,000
To address additional training requirements for new and existing fire suppression staff.

Inclusion Support Worker — $8,700
Will allow children who have physical or behavioural challenges to succeed at the City’s summer camp program.

These plus other service level increases total $292,555.

Tomorrow will be my final post about the proposed financial plan for Langley City, tying everything together.