Change can be scary.
Whether or not it is a big or small change does not matter, according to Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson, who is reflecting on his first year in office after a shocking victory against a longtime incumbent.
Goodmanson’s victory over Stew Young in 2022 marked a significant change in Langford’s municipal history, with the mayor receiving 4,483 votes to Young’s 3,796.
But as Goodmanson looks back on that first year, he and council have faced vocal criticism from some in the community, with several public protests outside of city hall, especially over the city’s planned tax increase.
Goodmanson said he is very aware that not everyone voted for him, adding that he must work hard to convince them he is the man for the job.
“Hopefully, some of their fears are unfounded,” Goodmanson said. “One thing council and I have tried to do is show people that we’re not here to make massive changes suddenly.”
He said that a city council must continue the work that a previous city council had started. Taxes are increasing mostly due to pre-existing agreements to fund RCMP officers.
“Every 750 new people move in, we have to hire a new police officer,” he said. “We had to hire more police because we have an agreement with the RCMP and our neighbouring municipalities.”
Goodmanson said Langford is expected to grow by 2,500 to 3,000 new residents next year, which will mean more officers being recruited to the West Shore RCMP.
“Every time we hire three new officers, we have to hire one support staff for them, and that’s not a council wish or anything. That is, is what our agreements are with the other municipalities.”
The community of Langford needs to know that council is not trying to change things overnight, said Goodmanson, and sometimes it can take time to turn the ship around.
“If you think of a supertanker, it doesn’t turn on a dime, but if you nudge it a few degrees port or starboard, that way you’ve missed the rocks and, in time, it’s aiming for a completely different direction.”
Council members from Langford had attended the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in Toronto at a total cost of $23,570 to Langford, but this wasn’t lobster rolls and caviar, said Goodmanson, responding to recent criticism. It was a chance for a new city council to listen to what is working in other communities across Canada.
“It was a good chance for everyone to learn. It’s highly unlikely that would happen next year. It would most likely be a much smaller group.”
Federal, provincial and municipal politics are different, said Goodmanson, and quite often, with federal or provincial politics, once someone new is elected, many of the projects and programs stop.
“At the municipal level, there is this unwritten rule of continuity of council. So what staff was working on the day before the election, they’re still working on the day after the election.”
Numerous proposals and developments were in the works, said Goodmanson, and those were all continued under this new council.
“I’ve signed those papers and sheets because you don’t just suddenly stop and change everything because there’s someone new in council.”
For Goodmanson, there is no doubt that his council wants to do what is best for Langford and keep it the great place it is, and only ever does it want to make positive changes.
“A year ago, when I sat down at our first meeting, I said, ‘the change has changed. What is good for one person is bad for another, but change itself is neither good nor bad.’”
This is a learning period and the council’s biggest change for 30 years. Still, Goodmanson said he likes going out and connecting with the people of Langford, especially those who might not see eye to eye with himself.
“Some things we may not agree on, but there’s stuff that we will,” he said. “If we focus on what we agree on and what we have in common and what we think is positive, then we’re gonna be much better than focusing on how we’re different.”
The future of the city council will be to put in place plans and initiatives that, according to Goodmanson, have never existed, including a transportation plan, an urban management plan, a forest management plan and an asset management plan.
“Regardless, if we are here for three more years or six or however long the city continues long after any given councillor is gone, and we wanna set up the city with some solid planning.”
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