Election: Meet the Langley City council candidates

Every candidate in the Oct. 17 Langley civic elections was invited to take part in a basic profile to inform Langley Advance Times readers. All participated. The candidates are presented in groups: mayoral candidates, council hopefuls and school trustee candidates. Voters will choose one mayor from two candidates. In the Township, 20 people are contesting eight council seats; in the City, 16 are running for six seats. For school trustees, the Township elects five and the City elects the other two positions on the Langley Board of Education. There are 15 trustee candidates in the Township and five in the City. The newspaper hopes the guide will help voters decide whom to support in the 2026 civic election.

**PAUL ALBRECHT** — Incumbent councillor running with the Langley City First slate; civil engineering technologist, 69; lives in the Douglas neighbourhood and has been a resident for 36 years. Contact: langleycityfirst.ca or 778-228-8720. He hopes to continue on Langley City Council, drawing on decades of experience in municipal operations, budget management and working with staff to deliver the City’s day-to-day services while being responsible with taxpayers’ money.

**SHAWN CALDERA** — New candidate with the Langley City First slate; works in business and economic development, 32; Nicomekl resident and has lived in Langley for three years. Contact: langleycityfirst.ca or 778-228-8720. He is running to serve his community by strengthening services and amenities, building strategic partnerships for the City and increasing support for small businesses. He also hopes to keep residents active, healthy and connected while saving taxpayers’ money.

**JENNIFER DENMAN** — First-time independent candidate; private care aide and support worker for seniors and children with special needs, 53; lives downtown and has been in Langley for nearly 40 years. Contact: votejenniferdenman@gmail.com. She said rapid changes in the community prompted her to run. She sees residents as divided over which path to take and takes pride in being an independent who will listen to and speak for community concerns and what matters to residents.

**GURJIT DHILLON** — Ran for council in 2022 and is running as an independent; wood and timber technologist, 67; Nicomekl resident who has lived in Langley for 45 years. Contact: d.gurjit@gmail.com and www.gurjitdhillon.ca. He wants to bring fairness, transparency and long-term planning to Langley City, with responsible governance, stronger accountability and practical solutions for residents, families and local businesses.

**BRUCE DOWNING** — First-time independent candidate; geoscientist, 79; lives in Simonds and has been a resident for a decade. Contact: Facebook account Bruce Downing; bwdowning@shaw.ca. He identifies communication as a major issue and says the City council could do more to communicate with residents. He also says City bureaucracy should not become overwhelming and slow important projects.

**ANDREW FLITTON** — Candidate with the Achieving for Langley City slate; civil construction and finance, 30; Simonds resident and lifelong Langley resident. Contact: hello@andrewflitton.com or www.facebook.com/votealc. He says his experience in civil construction and finance gives him an understanding of infrastructure costs and construction timelines. As Langley City grows, he is running to help get development right. His priorities include building homes, protecting neighbourhoods, putting infrastructure first and increasing density north of the Nicomekl.

**MICHAEL HYLANDS** — New council candidate with the Achieving for Langley City slate; manufacturing operations manager, 56; lives in the Simonds neighbourhood and has been in Langley for 30 years. Contact: michaelhylands.langleycity@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/votealc. He has a mechanical engineering degree from UBC and 26 years of operations experience. After decades managing budgets and capital projects, he says good decisions start with listening. He is running to hear residents first and then plan with evidence in hand.

**HEATHER JENKINS** — First-time council candidate with Langley City First; business owner, 51; lives in Willowbrook, has a business in the City and has been in Langley for 26 years. Contact: langleycityfirst.ca or 778-228-8720. She has run a business for more than 25 years and served with the Downtown Langley Business Association. She would be honoured to serve on council. Her priority is helping shopkeepers grow their businesses by keeping streets safe and property taxes low.

**JEFF JACOBS** — First-time council candidate with Langley City First; municipal worker, 47; lives in Nicomekl and is a lifelong Langley resident. Contact: langleycityfirst.ca or 778-228-8720. He says he wants to keep his community clean and beautiful, and a good place to raise children. He hopes to serve on council, represent hardworking neighbours and keep Langley City “the Place Be.”

**RICK ORLANDO** — Candidate with the Achieving for Langley City slate; mortgage broker, 39; lives in Uplands and has been in Langley for five years. Contact: rickorlando@telus.net or www.facebook.com/votealc. He says Langley City is built on community and it is time to put the community first. His priorities are improving public safety, addressing homelessness, fixing infrastructure, managing growth responsibly and ensuring tax dollars are spent wisely on services residents need.

**SAMUEL OTIM** — First-time independent candidate; professor, 51; lives in the Willowbrook area and has been in Langley for eight years. Contact: sotim366@gmail.com. He says Langley City’s complex problems cannot be tackled in isolation without unintended outcomes. He is running as an independent with a holistic plan to protect neighbourhoods and businesses, match infrastructure to growth, and maintain fiscal care and accountability.

**SIMI RAJPUT** — Seeking a council seat with the Achieving for Langley City slate; health-care leader, 37; lives in Simonds and has been in Langley for 10 years. Contact: simie.sharma@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/votealc. She has a master’s degree from Cornell and was formerly a director at BC Women’s and Children’s. She says mental health and safety shape everyday life, and that she understands the balance between support and boundaries. Her priorities include more police and firefighters, less disorder, restoring safety downtown and stronger advocacy.

**MIKE SOLYOM** — Incumbent with the Langley City First slate; economics instructor, 42; lives in Uplands and has been in Langley for 22 years. Contact: langleycityfirst.ca or 778-228-8720. He wants to continue helping shape Langley City’s future. Serving on council has strengthened his commitment, and he hopes to bring his economics expertise and experience to upcoming decisions.

**SCOTT THOMPSON** — First-time candidate with the Achieving for Langley City slate; retired municipal staffer, 66; lives in Blacklock and has been in Langley for 27 years. Contact: scottthompson2225@gmail.com or 778-636-2225. He says property taxes have risen by nearly 40 per cent in four years, an increase he calls unsustainable. He also alleges the mayor has damaged the City’s relationship with the Township. He says the relationship must be restored and taxes brought under control.

**VAL VAN DEN BROEK** — Former mayor and councillor, running as an independent; RCMP court liaison, 53; lives in Blacklock and has been in Langley for 26 years. Contact: val4langleycity.ca or voteval4langley@gmail.com. She says that after 25 years serving Langley City, the RCMP and the Township, she cannot stand by as taxes have risen 38.52 per cent and core services have declined. She says residents deserve fiscal accountability, transparency and safety, and is running to restore common-sense leadership.

**ROSEMARY WALLACE** — Incumbent with the Langley City First slate; artist, 61; lives in the Douglas area and has been in Langley for 30 years. Contact: langleycityfirst.ca or 778-228-8720. She would be honoured to continue serving on council and advocating for and representing the friends and neighbours who make the City a wonderful community, with thriving green spaces, outdoor performance spaces and public services.