Township Makes Significant New Investments

The Township of Langley Council has approved a 2024 budget that will add additional services focused on improving public safety, faster application processing for permits, improving community events, and planning for future amenities within the rapidly growing Township community.

The 2024 budget includes maintaining the high level of services Township residents are used to, along with new investments to add capacity, including:

• 2 RCMP officers
• 3 bylaw officers
• additional staffing to improve service levels for:
  • sidewalk snow and ice control
  • application processing for permits
  • planning for future amenities

The budget and its investments are supported by a 6.88% increase to property taxes, of which 2.63% is specifically for the RCMP contract increase. The draft budget began at 7.59% and through discussion and adjustments resulted in a reduction that aims to balance the operational needs of the Township with the ongoing uncertainty in the financial environment resulting from lingering inflation and high interest rates. 

“With ongoing inflationary pressures from last year combined with a $4.37M increase for RCMP costs downloaded from Ottawa, with no federal funding to offset it, it has been a very challenging budget year for us,” said Township Mayor Eric Woodward. “Separate from that, the municipal increase was 4.25%, again, one of the lowest within Metro Vancouver. By going over the budget line by line again this year, we found an additional $3.5M in cost savings, adjustments, and other improvements to get more for what we already pay.”

 “In addition to that ongoing work, we need senior levels of government to commit to greater investments in critical infrastructure like roads and schools as they continue to pressure municipalities to grow at a rapid pace, like the Township of Langley has been,” added Mayor Woodward.

Council priorities were supported by feedback from community members in the recent budget 2024 public engagement survey where the top three most important issues facing our communities selected were Transportation/Streets, Crime/Policing, and Community Facilities.

This budget comes in a time of ongoing uncertainty in the financial environment, including high inflation, high interest rates, lingering supply chain issues. The Township remains committed to providing a high level of service delivery for residents, while making long needed improvements in infrastructure and public safety.

Read more about the 2024 budget information and process here.