City of Langley launches members of the first City Citizens’ Assembly

By JEAH DIÑO

In a move towards inclusive governance, Langley City appointed 29 members of the first City Citizens’ Assembly, aiming to tackle issues related to community safety, housing and local services. Residents involved with the initiative say they hope it will bring change to the community.

Mayor Nathan Pachal said the assembly would reinforce democratic values, stating that it offers residents an opportunity to shape their community’s future.

“It’s a form of direct democracy because we’re basically delegating the creation of this to citizens,” Pachal said. “We’re talking about how we can make systemic changes. And to make systemic changes, you need to have the citizenry on board, politicians on board and the bureaucracy on board. I think this is an approach that does all three.”

The Assembly was launched on Langley City’s 70^th anniversary. Pachal said that the assembly’s launch on the city’s 70th anniversary is a testament to Langley City’s commitment to civic engagement. Among over a hundred applicants, 29 members were chosen through a lottery.

“People applied, and we made sure that the demographics match those of our city, which are really representative of our community, to dive into the topics,” Pachal said.

Coun. Teri James, who is also the executive director of the Downtown Langley Business Association, said that the city strives to improve by prioritizing inclusivity and listening to the needs of local communities.

“Everything that impacts the business community in Langley City, the city is incredible about including them, whether it’s in the form of direct communication, open houses, information sessions. They’re just really, really good at including the business community,” James said. “I think the city is going to be a front runner in the future for honing their communication skills.”

Pat White, a Langley resident of eight years said there should have been a broader selection of assembly members to ensure representation for residents with accessibility needs.

“I definitely think they could have done a little bit of a better job of picking. They should have at least somebody with a mobility device that should be on the assembly because I know for a fact that someone that is able-bodied can’t speak for someone like myself, who’s in a mobility device, regarding the safety or regarding to having accessibility issues,” White said.

Pachal said there are disabled members in the assembly.

“Folks go through a screening, otherwise you’re not going to get the demographic representation. I know for a fact there’s people with disabilities on the assembly, there’s different forms of disability,” Pachal said.

Loretta Solomon, Assembly member and president of the board of directors at the Langley Seniors Resource Society, said that she hopes to be a valuable voice for the seniors in this committee.

“I believe [civic engagement] matters because this is part of our community. Our senior centre sits right in Langley City, accessible to thousands of seniors. We have a responsibility as individuals to try to look at solutions and not just sit back and say things aren’t the way we’d like them to be,” Solomon said. “We have to become part of the solution. And I’m personally very determined to do that.”