Editor,

I am heartened to see that Gail Fleming has declared she will be running as write-in candidate for Position No. 5 on the Langley City Council this fall. I have known her for years and regard her as a dedicated and patient citizen working for betterment of our village.

Given the present and upcoming sweeping changes in our roster of elected officials and staff it is important that we bring on board people with good “institutional memory” of previous citizen and government activity.

We also need an official operating with openness to innovative and humanistic approaches to our many challenges.

Gail offers this for sure, working years inside and outside of government for Langley’s betterment. She has been a founding member of Langley Critical Area Alliance citizen’s group since 2005. The alliance preserves and protects Langley’s wetlands and bluffs.

She spent 12 years on the city’s Parks and Open Space Commission that she helped to create. She also spent seven years on the Planning Advisory Board that included intensive work on revising the Comprehensive Plan’s vision for Langley. Additionally she has continually maintained a deep interest in creating innovative solutions for Langley’s chronic problem of scarce affordable housing and has assured me this will be a high priority for her if she is elected.

I hope you join me in writing her name this fall in the council’s No. 5 position.

Mark Wahl

Langley