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LESSONS GO OLD SCHOOL Rainne Jorgensen, 3, hides behind a desk as Miss Lomas enforces strict classroom rules at Lochiel Schoolhouse. The Langley Centennial Museum opened the one room schoolhouse, located in Campbell Valley Park, on Saturday to do re-enactments of school life in the 1920s. Miranda GATHERCOLE/ Langley Times
No byelection for City of Langley Outgoing mayor complies with council’s request that he take an unpaid leave of absence until the New Year BRENDA ANDERSON Times Reporter
There will be no byelection in the City of Langley. The seat left vacant by City Mayor Peter Fassbender, the new Liberal MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood, will not be filled, council decided in a 5-1 vote on Monday night. Only Councillor Dave Hall opposed the motion to have Fassbender take an unpaid leave of absence until the New Year, rather than resign the mayorship outright. Under the Local Government Act, an immediate resignation by Fassbender would automatically trigger a byelection. Hall took the entire five minutes allotted to him to speak against the motion,
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calling it “an affront to the notion of democracy” and comparing council to a politburo. “It’s not the role of an elected council to decide the appropriateness of those who want to put their name forward,” said Hall. “An organization needs new blood or it stagnates.” Hall said a new voice on council could benefit the community by bringing an “arm’s length approach to human resources management” and “might bring about change in the council-mayor dynamic.” He also dismissed the notion that avoiding a byelection is an effective costsaving measure. He suggested that the $45,000 in esti-
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mated savings could easily have been realized in other areas over the years — whether that was through an attempt to cap wages or by not spending $9,000 on signage for the downtown. As Hall listed areas where the City could have been saving Peter Fassbender money, deputy mayor Gayle Martin directed him to stay on topic. “It’s perfectly pertinent,” Hall replied, before continuing. The City has earned $50 million in casino proceeds over the years, he noted.
“Using .009 of that to protect democracy is hardly an astounding amount,” he said. “Why shouldn’t the people be able to decide?” Councillor Ted Schaffer said that council was elected to make decisions, and sometimes those decisions are hard. “They may not appear to be democratic, but they are democratic.” “I do believe in democracy,” said Councillor Rosemary Wallace. “I think this council has been directed well by staff and we’ve had healthy debates around this table.” “To me it’s the timing,” said Councillor Jack Arnold. continued, PAGE 7
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