Langley Township council votes 7 to 2 to order a forensic audit of Township finances
The new Langley Strong majority council voted at a special meeting on November 4 to audit the Township's books from late 2022 to the present, fulfilling a campaign promise, with the two Progress for Langley councillors opposed.
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Langley Township's new council voted 7 to 2 on November 4 to order a forensic audit of the Township's own finances. The vote came at a special meeting held less than 48 hours after the new council was sworn in, fulfilling one of the central commitments Langley Strong made during the October 17 election campaign.
Mayor Jay Lundgren and all six Langley Strong councillors (Barb Martens, Blair Whitmarsh, Kim Richter, Lauren Chalus, Margaret Kunst and Teresa Townsley) voted in favour. Steve Ferguson and Michael V. Pratt of Progress for Langley voted against, the Langley Advance Times reported.
What the audit will cover
The audit will look at the entire period from early November 2022 to the present, covering four years of Township budgeting and spending, the Langley Advance Times reported. That is the full term of the previous council, which was led by former mayor Eric Woodward of Progress for Langley.
The audit will include the borrowing by the Township of Langley Housing Trust Society. The Langley Advance Times reported that the society took on a large amount of its own borrowing to build several middle-income non-profit apartment buildings in partnership with BC Housing. Langley Strong made the society's borrowing one of its main campaign points.
Mayor Lundgren said at the meeting that his hope is to have the audit completed within 90 days. That would put the results ready around early February 2027. The results are to be publicly posted.
The audit is to be paid from the mayor's and council's contingency funds, followed by surplus funds if necessary. Langley Strong has also promised to shut down the mayor's contingency fund once the audit costs are covered, the Langley Advance Times reported.
The campaign promise behind the vote
The forensic audit was the first item in Pillar 1 of the Langley Strong platform, with a 100-day deadline and a commitment to publish the findings. Mayor Lundgren had said at an all-candidates meeting in Fort Langley on September 21 that the audit would be his first priority, before the budget.
The promise tracker on this site records the commitment for Mayor Lundgren and each of the six Langley Strong councillors: "Order a forensic audit of Township finances in the first 100 days and publish it." The November 4 vote begins that process. The 100-day clock started when council was sworn in on November 2, putting the deadline around March 12, 2027.
What the opposition said
Councillor Pratt raised questions about the audit's cost before the vote. "We do not know how much this is going to cost," the Langley Advance Times quoted him as saying.
Pratt also noted that forensic audits are normally used to investigate suspected fraud or wrongdoing, and asked who the audit was aimed at. "As far as I'm aware, our books are completely open," he said.
Councillor Ferguson tried to delay the start of the audit until after a fuller presentation to council. That motion was voted down 7 to 2.
What the majority said
Councillor Whitmarsh said at the meeting that no one at the table had suggested fraud or wrongdoing. He described the previous term as having "unprecedented" spending and borrowing. "If there's nothing to find, that's actually fantastic news," the Langley Advance Times quoted him as saying.
Councillor Martens put the question plainly. "My only comment is, can we afford not to do a forensic audit?" the Langley Advance Times quoted her as saying.
Mayor Lundgren said his goal was to understand the Township's financial position before setting the budget for the new term.
The school board also held its first meeting
A day earlier, on November 3, the new Langley Board of Education held its inaugural meeting following the October 17 election, the Langley Advance Times reported. Charlie Fox, a retired school principal, was voted chair of the board. Candy Ashdown was voted vice chair.
The seven trustees took their oaths of office on November 3 and will serve four years. Five of the seven seats belong to the Township of Langley; the City of Langley holds two. The board will work on school spaces and other pressures from the area's growth, incoming board chair Fox told the Langley Advance Times.
What comes next
The Township has not yet named the firm that will carry out the audit. Mayor Lundgren put the target at 90 days from the November 4 vote, which falls around February 2, 2027. The Township of Langley's news page shows the new council was sworn in on November 2. Once complete, the audit results are to be posted publicly for residents to read.
Residents can follow the audit's progress through Township council agendas and meeting minutes at the Township's calendar site. The promise tracker at /bc/langley-township-2026/tracker will be updated when records confirm the audit's status against each elected person's commitment.
Questions this story answers
What did Langley Township council vote on November 4, 2026?
Council voted 7 to 2 at a special meeting on November 4 to order a forensic audit of Township finances. Mayor Jay Lundgren and all six Langley Strong councillors voted in favour. Councillors Steve Ferguson and Michael V. Pratt of Progress for Langley voted against. The Langley Advance Times reported this on November 5.
What period will the forensic audit cover?
The audit will cover the entire period from early November 2022 to the present, the Langley Advance Times reported. That four-year span covers the previous council term under former mayor Eric Woodward of Progress for Langley.
What will the audit look at?
The audit will cover many aspects of the Township's budgeting and spending. It will include the borrowing by the Township of Langley Housing Trust Society, which the Langley Advance Times reported took on a large amount of its own borrowing to build several middle-income non-profit apartment buildings in partnership with BC Housing.
Who opposes the audit and why?
Councillors Steve Ferguson and Michael V. Pratt of Progress for Langley voted against the audit. Councillor Pratt raised questions about the cost, saying 'We do not know how much this is going to cost,' and noted that forensic audits are typically used to investigate fraud. 'As far as I'm aware, our books are completely open,' the Langley Advance Times quoted Pratt as saying.
Who will pay for the forensic audit?
The audit is to be paid from the mayor's and council's contingency funds, followed by surplus funds if needed, according to the Langley Advance Times. Langley Strong has also promised to shut down the mayor's contingency fund once the audit is paid for.
When does Langley Strong expect the audit to be finished?
Mayor Jay Lundgren said at the November 4 meeting that his hope is to have the audit completed within 90 days, the Langley Advance Times reported. That would put completion around early February 2027.
Was this audit a campaign promise?
Yes. The forensic audit was a central Langley Strong campaign commitment. Mayor Lundgren's tracker on this site records the promise: 'Order a forensic audit of Township finances in the first 100 days and publish it.' It was listed as not started before this vote. All six Langley Strong councillors carried the same party promise.
What will happen with the audit results?
The results of the audit are to be publicly posted, the Langley Advance Times reported. This matches the Langley Strong campaign promise, which included publishing the findings so residents could see what the audit found. Mayor Lundgren said at the November 4 meeting that the Township aims to complete the audit within 90 days.
What does Councillor Blair Whitmarsh say about the audit?
Councillor Whitmarsh said at the November 4 meeting that no one at the council table had suggested fraud. He described the previous council term as having 'unprecedented' spending and borrowing. 'If there's nothing to find, that's actually fantastic news,' the Langley Advance Times quoted him as saying.
Where can I follow the audit's progress?
The Township of Langley will post results publicly once the audit is complete, according to council's decision. The promise tracker on this site follows Mayor Lundgren's commitment and those of all six Langley Strong councillors at /bc/langley-township-2026/tracker.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Langley Advance Times · Langley Township council orders forensic audit, by Matthew Claxton, November 5, 2026langleyadvancetimes.com
- Langley Advance Times · Langley's new trustees share old times at inaugural meeting, by Heather Colpitts, November 5, 2026langleyadvancetimes.com
- Township of Langley · Mayor and Council 2026-2030, November 4, 2026tol.ca
- voche.me · Jay Lundgren promise tracker: forensic audit in first 100 daysvoche.me
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