'I don't want things to shut down': Next Langford mayor says he's pro-consultation, not anti-development

Langford mayor-elect Scott Goodmanson is still in disbelief after getting the most votes in Saturday’s municipal election.

“I was told I was going to get waxed,” said Goodmanson.

Instead, he was at the centre of one of the most unexpected upsets on Vancouver Island, knocking out longtime mayor Stew Young.

“I’m looking forward to meeting with the new council and getting into city hall,” said Goodmanson.

The mayor-elect, who grew up in Langford, owns a business building backyard ponds. He will now end that part of his life and focus on being mayor full-time.

His first visit to Langford city hall will be on Tuesday where he will briefly meet with senior staff and begin to get a lay of the land.

Goodmanson says he has no immediate plans for any sweeping changes but there are three orders of business he would like to see council address right off the bat.

“You know, I would love for us to change meeting times back to 7 o’clock,” said Goodmanson.

Currently, council meets at 5:30 p.m. He says that time doesn’t work for many Langford residents hoping to have their voices heard by council.

Next, Goodmanson says Langford needs a code-of-conduct and a stronger tree bylaw.

“They theoretically have one but it’s so complicated in the way that it’s applied. It doesn’t have any meat or teeth,” said the incoming mayor.

Under the current mayor and council, Langford has benefitted from unprecedented development and that has been great for the local economy.

“I don’t want things to shut down,” said Goodmanson.

He says he is not anti-development and wants to see the momentum continue.

He would like to see more public consultation on projects pointing to the example of the densification of the downtown core.

“Right now someone could come in and say I want to put in a 50- or 75-storey tower. Five years ago that would have been ridiculous to think of and now it could happen,” said Goodmanson.

Langford councillor-elect Colby Harder. (CTV News)

There are six other councillors at the table. Colby Harder, 26, is one.

“I heard time and time again at the door that infrastructure in Langford is a key concern for residents,” said Harder.

Harder says transportation infrastructure hasn’t kept up with development, leading to gridlock on the roads.

“So I really want to see Langford pivot from how we have been building out our roads to a more multi-modal network,” said Harder.

Voters in Langford know change is coming.

“I think change is always good,” said Heather Fulmore, a resident of Langford for 30 years. “We can’t stop it, it’s always coming so we might as well embrace it but change is also nerve racking.”

“Change can be good so that’s exciting but it also can be scary,” said Brooke Perry, who has been living in Langford for two years.

Langford’s new mayor and council will be sworn in on Nov. 7.