Monday - June 16, 2025 - Harrison ponders council pay

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News

Behind Langley Township council’s shattered ties

Three years ago, Eric Woodward and Barb Martens were political allies topping the polls in Langley Township, as Woodward’s new municipal political party won two-thirds of the municipality’s council seats.

Woodward was elected mayor while Martens won the most votes of any council candidates, and the election gave the pair the chance to try to deliver on one of the most ambitious set of election promises the Fraser Valley has ever seen.

But today, Woodward and Martens sit as far away from one another as possible at Langley Township’s council. Martens occasionally votes against Woodward’s preferred policies. And verbal interactions between the two are often tense—if not bordering on hostile.

What happened here? With little coverage of political dynamics in the Fraser Valley’s fastest-growing city, a casual observer might feel like a person stepping into a room immediately after a massive fight between two friends.

But today’s awkwardness isn’t new. Instead, it follows a slew of previously unreported clashes, including the ejection of Martens from Contract With Langley in December 2023, the revocation of a scholarship Woodward’s foundation had previously granted Martens’ daughter, and a lawsuit Martens’ daughter then filed against Woodward’s personal charity.

That lawsuit has just been settled, but reconciliation doesn’t seem in the cards, with Woodward still unhappy about a key 2023 vote—and a political hug with a one-time foe.

• Today, Tyler writes about personal politics in Langley Township.

Related

Need to Know

⌚ Eighteen months after the provincial election, no business plans have been created for three major health care projects in Langley [Aldergrove Star]

🐍 A teen found a weird-looking endangered sharp-tailed snake in Boston Bar [Hope Standard]

🔥 As many as 100 animals died in a barn fire that is believed to have been deliberately set [CTV]

👉 MP Brad Vis says the federal government hasn’t done enough to protect Fraser Valley communities from future flooding [Mission Record]

🤐 Fraser Health is using AI in dozens of different programs—but refuses to talk about them [CTV]

🏨 Marriott’s new Chilliwack hotel has opened [Chilliwack Progress]

🚧 Construction on Langley’s 208th Street is entering its final phase [Langley Advance Times]

🔎 Mission is creating a specific strategy to specifically address long-term land-use plans in rural areas [Mission Record]

🏍 A patient was airlifted to hospital after being injured in a dirt bike accident in the Chilliwack River Valley [Fraser Valley Today]

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The Agenda

Harrison council ponders pay review

Harrison Hot Springs council is beginning the process of figuring out whether the elected officials should get a raise.

In March, Harrison staff brought forward a report comparing council’s remuneration with that of other, similarly sized municipalities in BC. The report found Harrison’s mayoral and councillor pay was slightly higher than the average. The report also noted that most of the comparisons were taken from data between 2022 and 2024, and the Consumer Price Index may have resulted in increases at some municipalities since then.

Harrison council asked staff to bring back a more comprehensive report, and to hire a consultant to research council pay. The consultant has been found, but staff are now suggesting council wait until 2026 to begin the research. Staff said the consultant recommended the delay, as most municipalities wait until the final year of the council term before making pay changes.

The consultant’s research is expected to cost between $8,000 and $12,000. Staff said they could do a less extensive review in-house, although the review may not include fringe expenses.

Harrison council will decide tonight whether to undertake its pay review now or next year, and whether to go ahead with a consultant or do an in-house report.

Last year, The Current reported on the pay for every mayor and councillor in the Fraser Valley, and also wrote why comparing remuneration might not be the best way to set council pay.

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🗓 Things to do

Reconciliation game: The Chilliwack Library hosts a Truth and Reconciliation Board Game Night on Monday, starting at 6pm. The event is for people 16 and older. Registration is required and available online.

Seniors hub: Langley Seniors in Action hosts its monthly hub meeting on Wednesday from 10am to noon at the Langley Senior Resources Society (20605-51B Ave.). This month's speaker is Angel Elias-ED from the Langley Division of Family Practice. For details, email [email protected].

Improv comedy: Whose Line is it Anyway stars will be at the Abbotsford Centre on Friday, June 20 for their improv tour Whose Live Anyway. The 90-minute show features comedians Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davies, and Joel Murray, and will include a number of improv games made famous by the TV show. Tickets start at $60 without taxes. Details and tickets online.

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