Vacation Alert

I will be taking some time off and will be back blogging on Monday, August 31st.

MNP LLP to Lead Langley City Effectiveness and Efficiency Review

Since I was first elected to Langley City Council in 2016, the City's population has grown from 27,000 to 35,000, a 30% increase. We also have SkyTrain under construction with a planned opening in late 2029. All this to say that Langley City is transforming from a mid-sized city to a larger city by BC standards. While I believe we have a good foundation in Langley City’s finances and operations, we know that the City will continue to need to make large investments in services and infrastructure, especially once SkyTrain is operating. We want to ensure that the foundation is rock-solid as we continue to plan for growth.

The City has completed internal efficiency reviews, but we’ve never had an external efficiency and effectiveness review. With any organization, it is always good to have a fresh set of eyes look at how we do things and offer feedback on how we can improve. I’m extremely pleased that Langley City has proactively launched this review.

Langley City has engaged MNP LLP to undertake an external effectiveness and efficiency review. The review will examine services, processes, and ways of working to identify opportunities to strengthen coordination, reduce bottlenecks, improve service delivery, and leverage technology to make the best use of available resources.

The City selected MNP LLP through a competitive and public bidding process. MNP LLP's report will be completed this winter for a future council to review.

If I have the honour of being re-elected this fall, I will do my part to support implementing recommendations from this review. I do want to be clear that this review isn’t about laying people off or reducing service; we need to increase our service levels. The review is about ensuring we have the structure and processes in place to manage the City well over the next decade and to ensure every nickel of taxpayer money is used as effectively as possible.

For more information, please visit Langley City’s website.

Map of Langley City Roadwork Projects 2023 - 2026

As I posted last month, Langley City Council approved the tenders for several roadwork projects. The budget for these projects was approved last year. The City has compiled a list with a map of all significant roadwork projects completed between 2023 and 2025, as well as the project slated for completion this year.

Map of Langley City roadwork projects from 2023 through 2026. Select the map to enlarge.

2026 Projects

1. Logan Avenue and 204 Street Paving
2. 198 Street Paving
3. Brydon Crescent and 199A Street Paving
4. Fraser Highway Paving
5. Langley Bypass Paving and Multiuse Path
6. 208 Street Paving

2023 - 2025 Projects

7. Fraser Highway Bike Lanes
8. Douglas Avenue Paving
9. Fraser Highway One-Way Renewal
10. Park Avenue Watermain and Paving
11. Downtown Bike Lanes
12. Fraser Highway Paving
13. Fraser Highway Watermain and Paving
14. 56 Avenue Underground Utilities and Paving
15. 55A Avenue Paving
16. Michaud Crescent Watermain, Bike Lane, and Paving
17. 202 Street Underground Utilities and Paving
18. 46 Avenue Storm Sewer and Paving

You can find a list of other City’s significant capital projects on its website.

2026 Data Shows Langley City has the Third Lowest Property Taxes & Utility Fees for Detached Homes in Metro Vancouver

When people look at their property tax bill, it contains charges from the province, School Board, TransLink, Metro Vancouver Regional District, and their municipality.

In some municipalities, you get a combined property tax and local government utility bill (water, sewer, garbage). In other municipalities, you get separate property tax and utility bills.

You’ll hear a lot about property taxes expressed as percentages. This isn’t very useful: a 7% increase of $9 is less than a 7% increase on $10.

Because it can be useful to compare what people pay in property taxes and local government-controlled utility fees, the provincial government releases an annual “Taxes & Charges on a Representative House” report which compares the “all in” taxes and fees for an average-priced detached home in each municipality.

The province recently released its 2026 data. You can download the full dataset from the provincial government's website, but I thought it would be interesting to show the “all in” value for all municipalities in Metro Vancouver.

Municipalities	Typical Detached House Value	Total Residential Property Taxes & Charges
Port Coquitlam	$1,391,709	$6,713
Pitt Meadows	$1,137,132	$7,108
Langley City	$1,269,858	$7,240
Langley Township	$1,470,866	$7,242
Maple Ridge	$1,237,833	$7,425
Delta	$1,433,759	$7,449
Surrey	$1,599,454	$7,729
Coquitlam	$1,700,545	$8,304
Burnaby	$2,066,751	$8,472
Richmond	$1,910,200	$9,010
City of North Vancouver	$2,056,556	$9,081
District of North Vancouver	$2,200,711	$9,793
Port Moody	$1,855,611	$9,819
White Rock	$1,864,503	$10,015
Belcarra	$1,943,328	$10,912
Vancouver	$2,508,938	$10,977
Bowen Island	$1,618,730	$11,387
Lions Bay	$2,218,574	$12,076
New Westminster	$1,621,483	$12,467
Anmore	$2,595,128	$12,736
West Vancouver	$3,514,285	$14,403

As a note, New Westminster is higher in part because they also have their own electrical utility, while the rest of us are on BC Hydro.

I also want to note that while the province doesn’t provide the typical “all-in” value for attached housing, Langley City normally does. Langley City is a bit of an exception in BC, as nearly 80% of households live in attached homes (apartments and townhouses). We don’t have attached housing 2026 data yet, but we typically have the lowest or second-lowest in the region. I expect this to be maintained in 2026.

Call to Artists: Design Langley City’s Fall 2027 Banner

Langley City has a seasonal banner program in our downtown core and neighbourhood banners near elementary schools throughout our community. These banners need to be refreshed from time to time as outdoor elements degrade them. Langley City has issued a call for artists to design the 2027 fall downtown core banners.

The banner design can explore themes of connection, belonging, story, landscapes, arts, culture, recreation, and shared experiences as they specifically relate to Langley City.

The banners themselves should be:

• Bold and visually engaging
• Suitable for a public and family-friendly environment
• Designed to be viewed from a distance

In Langley City, we believe that artists should be paid for their work, and the selected artist will receive $1,000.

The City will require two complementary banner designs, which can be created in any medium.

The deadline for submission is October 29, 2026, at 3:30 pm. For more information, please visit the Langley City website.

Recycling Compressed Gas Cylinders and “Whipping Cream Chargers”

Earlier this year, I posted about large nitrous oxide cylinders entering the waste stream in our region in significant quantities. While nitrous oxide is used for food processing and auto racing, it is also known as laughing gas and provides a sense of calm and euphoria when inhaled. These cylinders have caused explosions at the Metro Vancouver Waste-to-Energy facility, damaging equipment and jeopardizing worker safety.

Post Combustion Nitrous Oxide Cylinders. Select the image to enlarge.

As a result, the Metro Vancouver Regional District provides free recycling for all single-use valved cylinders (not just nitrous oxide), whether gas-filled or empty, at its recycling and waste facilities.

As I posted, the Regional District would like to see the federal government prohibit the import and sale of large single-use valved nitrous oxide cylinders.

As you may know, most of the recycling programs in BC are funded by industry through the BC Extended Producer Responsibility program. For example, curbside recycling for detached homes and non-strata townhomes in Langley City is managed by Recycle BC.

Currently in BC, you can recycle empty aerosol spray containers used for cosmetic/beauty, health products, food, afresheners, and cleaning. An example would be shaving cream. The provincial government is expanding the Extended Producer Responsibility program to include more types of aerosol spray containers, small propane cylinders, and spray foam canisters. The Metro Vancouver Regional District would like to see nitrous oxide cylinders added to this expanded program.

Right now, it costs the regional district about $60 to recycle a nitrous oxide cylinder. Based on a quick Internet search, the cost of recycling is about the same as the price of a new, filled, larger-sized nitrous oxide cylinder.

I’m hoping that the province will add nitrous oxide cylinders to an expanded Extended Producer Responsibility program.

92% of Metro Vancouver Regional District Board Support Single Sewer Area Charge

One of the strengths of our region is that we work well together and share resources where it makes sense. For example, we all pay the same regional tax rates and fees for transit, water, solid waste, and parks. The only area where we pay different rates is for sewer; it is based on where your liquid waste is processed. This all stemmed from a decision in the mid-1990s about how to pay for a significant project to improve wastewater treatment at the Annacis Island Wastewater Treatment, which serves most of Metro Vancouver by area.

Because of our geography and history, the North Shore, half of Lulu Island (Richmond), and most of the City of Vancouver each have their own wastewater treatment facility.

Map of Metro Vancouver Sewerage Areas. Select the map to enlarge.

We all know the story of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment plant. Unfortunately, because of how we fund sewage services in our region, North Shore residents and businesses got stuck with a massive increase in sewer fees through no fault of their own.

This is the breakdown of typical household charges for regional sewer service in 2026.

Fraser Sewerage Area: $795
Lulu Island Sewerage Area: $825
North Shore Sewerage Area: $1,315
Vancouver Sewerage Area: $1,024

Langley City is in the Fraser Sewerage Area. All the sewage treatment plants and pipes in our region need upgrades to keep them in a state of good repair and meet modern wastewater treatment standards. Given that treatment plants aren’t based on population but on geography, the experience of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment plant costs distribution, and future sewage projects, 92% of the current Metro Vancouver Directors want to switch to a single sewage area. This would help spread the cost of these necessary sewage upgrades across all people and businesses in our region. It is a fairer approach and will reduce future spikes in sewage rate increases. While the Fraser Sewage Area currently has the lowest rate, it also has major sewer projects planned in the coming years.

I’m pleased to see that most elected people are working together for the benefit of all people in Metro Vancouver, and I look forward to seeing one sewerage area.

A Quick Tour of the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain Guideway Segment Factory

Over 4,400 segments are required to build the guideway for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension to Langley City. Last week, I got a chance to tour where these segments are made.