May 25 Council Notes: Financial Plan Updates

Langley City Council addressed two financial plan items at its meeting last night. As I posted last week, the City must align last year’s financial plan with the actual funds received and expended to prepare the 2025 year-end financial results. Members of the public had the opportunity to provide feedback on the reconciled 2025 financial results last night. No one provided feedback. Council approved the year-end financial plan for 2025-2029.

Throughout the year, the City may also update the current financial plan. Council gave first, second, and third reading to update the 2026-2030 financial plan to provide one-time funding through the City’s savings accounts and reductions in spending in other areas as follows:

• Computer Workstation Upgrades - $57,000
• Portage Park Picnic Shelter - Additional $70,000 to fund the replacement of the shelter that was burned down
• Firefighter Turnout Gear (PSAF-Free Protective Clothing) - $180,000
• Fire Engine Repair - $82,288
• Efficiency and Effectiveness Review - $125,000 to undertake an independent review of the City’s operations to identify opportunities to improve service delivery and optimize processes
• Social, Cultural, and Economic Development Catalyst Fund - $20,000 as seed funding to help support the City’s social, cultural, and economic development priorities
• Workforce Succession, Strategic Capacity and Temporary Coverage - $600,000 to support workforce succession planning in advance of anticipated retirements and to provide temporary staffing capacity to cover long-term leaves and unplanned absences
• Legal Fees – Labour Matters - $500,000 to cover the cost due to unanticipated legal matters
• Policing Arbitration and Mediation - $900,000 to support the negotiation, arbitration and mediation of policing partnership agreements with the Township of Langley

These one-time items do not impact property taxes. At an upcoming meeting, members of the public will have an opportunity to provide feedback before Council considers the final reading and adoption of the update.