Committee of the Whole Minutes - March 23, 2026

Committee of the Whole Minutes

March 23, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
Council Chambers & Electronic Meeting

PRESENT

• Mayor S. Goodmanson
• Councillor K. Guiry
• Councillor C. Harder
• Councillor M. Morley
• Councillor L. Szpak
• Councillor M. Wagner
• Councillor K. Yacucha

ATTENDING

• D. Kiedyk, Chief Administrative Officer
• B. Hutchins, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
• M. Watmough, Director of Legislative & Protective Services
• M. Dillabaugh, Director of Finance
• K. Balzer, Director of Engineering and Public Works
• Y. Nielsen, Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities
• K. Dube, Senior Manager of Information Technology and GIS
• D. Petrie, Senior Manager of Business Development and Events
• C. Aubrey, Fire Chief
• R. Dykstra, Manager of Development Services
• C. Staniforth, Manager of Budgets & Revenue
• C. Lowe, IT Support Specialist
• B. Boisvert, Legislative Services Administrative Coordinator

Meeting available by teleconference.

---

1. CALL TO ORDER

The Chair reconvened the March 17, 2026, Committee of the Whole meeting at 7:02 pm.

2. TERRITORIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Councillor Yacucha read the City of Langford's Territorial Acknowledgment.

3. REPORTS

3.1 2026 Budget Reports

• MOVED BY: GOODMANSON
  SECONDED: WAGNER
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce the budget for Council Travel and Training by $30,000 in 2026.
  Motion CARRIED.

• MOVED BY: YACUCHA
  SECONDED: MORLEY
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce all budget items except items Transfer from Capital Works to Cover Debt Servicing, City Hall Staffing, Non-Property Tax Revenues, Staff Travel and Training, Wayfinding - Strategy and Signage, Garbage Can Retrofit, Royal Roads Innovation Studio, E-bike Program and Council Travel and Training to the reduction scenario required to achieve 9% property tax increase for 2026. To set this as a primary baseline for deliberation.
  Motion DEFEATED.
  Mayor Goodmanson, Councillors Wagner, Harder, Szpak and Guiry opposed.

• MOVED BY: WAGNER
  SECONDED: MORLEY
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce the budget for item Internal Capital Payment for Capital Previously Purchased by $800,000 in 2026 and adjust years 2027 - 2030 according to the 11% and 9% reduction options seen in the March 17, 2026 Breakdown of Internal Debt Staff Report.
  Motion CARRIED.
  Councillors Guiry, Harder and Szpak opposed.

• MOVED BY: GUIRY
  SECONDED: WAGNER
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce the budget for item Utilities - Water/Irrigation by $100,000 in 2026.
  Motion CARRIED.

• MOVED BY: WAGNER
  SECONDED: YACUCHA
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce the budget for item Greening the Downtown Core by $15,000 in 2026.
  Motion DEFEATED.
  Councillors Harder, Morley, Szpak and Guiry opposed.

• MOVED BY: GUIRY
  SECONDED: HARDER
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce the budget for item Holiday Decorations by $25,000 in 2026.
  Motion CARRIED.

• MOVED BY: SZPAK
  SECONDED: GUIRY
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council reinstate the budget item, Royal Roads Innovation Studio, which was reduced to the amount of $65,000, be reinstated.
  Councillor Szpak received permission of the seconder and withdrew the motion.

• MOVED BY: SZPAK
  SECONDED: GUIRY
  THAT Committee of the Whole rescind its previous recommendation directing staff to reduce budget item Royal Roads Innovation Studio by an amount to be presented to Council in the range of $65,000 to be confirmed with Royal Roads University.
  Councillor Szpak received permission of the seconder and withdrew the motion.

• MOVED BY: WAGNER
  SECONDED: MORLEY
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce the budget for item City Staff Cleaning by $25,000 in 2026.
  Motion DEFEATED.
  Mayor Goodmanson and Councillors Harder, Szpak and Guiry opposed.

• MOVED BY: YACUCHA
  SECONDED: WAGNER
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce the budget for item Fire - POC Shift Reduction & Communications Center Equipment by $30,000 in 2026.
  Motion CARRIED.
  Mayor Goodmanson and Councillors Szpak and Guiry opposed.

• MOVED BY: WAGNER
  SECONDED: GUIRY
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce the budget for item City Centre Park - Small Equipment and Repairs and Maintenance by $25,000 in 2026.
  Motion CARRIED.
  Councillors Guiry, Szpak and Yacucha opposed.

• MOVED BY: WAGNER
  SECONDED: GUIRY
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to add funding for a portion of the Municipal Leaders Advisory Team Coordinator position to the budget in the amount of $20,000 for 2026.

Amendment:

• MOVED BY: GUIRY
  SECONDED: HARDER
  THAT the main motion be amended by removing “$20,000” and replacing with “$44,400”.
  Motion CARRIED.

On the Main Motion as Amended:
THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to add funding for a portion of the Municipal Leaders Advisory Team Coordinator position to the budget in the amount of $44,400 for 2026.
Motion CARRIED.

• MOVED BY: YACUCHA
  SECONDED: WAGNER
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to investigate alternate funding from reserves to fund Bear Mountain Parkway Temporary Power Issue for Council's consideration.
  Motion CARRIED.

• MOVED BY: WAGNER
  SECONDED: MORLEY
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce the budget for item Westhills Arena - Small Equipment and Repairs and Maintenance by $25,000 in 2026.
  Motion DEFEATED.
  Councillors Szpak, Harder, Guiry and Yacucha opposed.

• MOVED BY: GUIRY
  SECONDED: WAGNER
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council increase the budget item First Nation Relations to $100,000, that the additional $50,000 be funded from surplus in 2026, and budgets for the remainder of the 5-year financial plan would be $100,000.
  Motion CARRIED.

• MOVED BY: WAGNER
  SECONDED: SZPAK
  THAT the Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to cancel the City's Urban Development Institute (UDI) membership, and remove the budget for UDI membership fees from the five-year financial plan.
  Motion CARRIED.
  Mayor Goodmanson opposed.

• MOVED BY: GUIRY
  SECONDED: HARDER
  THAT Committee of the Whole at 9:55 pm extend the meeting until 10:30 pm.
  Motion DEFEATED.
  Councillors Morley, Yacucha, Szpak opposed

• MOVED BY: WAGNER
  THAT Committee of the Whole at 9:56 pm extend the meeting until 10:10 pm.
  The Motion died on the floor for want of a seconder.

• MOVED BY: GUIRY
  SECONDED: HARDER
  THAT Committee of the Whole at 9:57 pm extend the meeting until 10:15 pm.
  Motion CARRIED.

• MOVED BY: HARDER
  SECONDED: GUIRY
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to defer item PD37 - Westshore Parkway Trail, to 2027.
  Motion DEFEATED.
  Mayor Goodmanson and Councillors Morley, Guiry, Szpak, Yacucha and Wagner opposed.

• MOVED BY: GOODMANSON
  SECONDED: WAGNER
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council direct staff to reduce the Council Contingency by $44,400 in 2026.
  Motion DEFEATED.
  Councillors Harder, Morley, Szpak, Guiry and Yacucha opposed.

• MOVED BY: GUIRY
  SECONDED: HARDER
  THAT Committee of the Whole recommend that Council approve the Proposed 2026-2030 5-year Financial Plan as presented, factoring in the resolutions from the March 17th and March 23rd, Committee of the Whole meetings.
  Motion CARRIED.

---