Margaret Kunst

So currently, the business businesses pay 30 about 30, percent maybe even more, a little bit more of our property tax base. So we need to keep businesses, make making sure that they're viable and that they stay in our community. And that if we have a higher tax rate, they're gonna they're gonna take off so there's a really nice property over on 216th and 80th that we could have had some great employment there you know that could have been people working and people paying into our tax base right now we have employment lands that you know Fraser Highway we have some in Brookswood and that's gonna be a really great way for us to increase our tax base and keep making sure that our businesses are not gonna have to pay more and as well as our residents so we have to make sure that our businesses stay profitable and we can't talk some more.

So, earlier this term we as a Council we were actually in this room where we met with consultation with TransLink we're working on the 2040 plan so there's three corridors or there's one … with three urban villages and in those hubs those are where we can we can build you know higher density places where people can work live they can get on the on the BRT get to the SkyTrain so we need to look at where density belongs which is on our 200th Street corridor and where people can actually get to work get to the Highway get to the SkyTrain I think that's you know a good place to start and yeah thank you.

I it's one … thing I love about the Township of Langley and it is our parks and recreation. I grew up here and I can see how the trails, I mean you just go down to Derek Doubleday. I have a bike, I love riding my bike through the parks and trails. I have a brother that lives in Vernon he comes here to Langley. Guys, wow you guys have such great parks and what we need to do is we need to make sure that we prioritize that we take care of them. When I think about the facilities that we have, we do have amazing facilities but what people forget is that the councils before us actually bought the land that we could build the facilities on. So you know we talk a lot about what we've done this term but without the strategic acquisition land acquisitions of the councils before us we can't actually do this so a lot of the parks and trails that were that we're you know we get to enjoy today was actually built by previous councils so I just always want to just take a moment to just think about the people who were before us and acknowledge that and we've done some great things on this Council term and we can do more so I just want to say that thank you.

We need stronger bylaw enforcement, with the ability to revisit rule breakers. And a dedicated team to cover our rural areas.

We need to update the rural plan! We need to work with our provincial partners to have truck parking on crown land close to HWY 1 like they do in Europe! We can't address a problem without solutions. The trucks need a place to park not on ALR lands.

The AAC’s role is very limited. It is an advisory committee. The AAC members should play a bigger role in decisions regarding agriculture. The land commission. They need to play a bigger role in our TOL Policy making process

We should ask the province to do an aquifer study since it licences the water. We need to also understand the importance of water to farming and if there is metering which has been talked about, how will that affect the viability of the farm.

Hi, my name is Margaret. I would focus on community connection and accessibility. Sometimes relatively small investments, a safe crossing, a bench, an accessible pathway, or better connection to transit, or even a ride to a community center can make a huge difference to a senior who is struggling with accessibility or loneliness. I recently attended a seniors fair at the Langley Seniors Resource Society actually yesterday. It was amazing to see the amount of resources for seniors, from meals and home support to travel and help with downsizing. But what occurred to me was how many seniors couldn't make it there because they didn't have access to transportation. I'd like the township to work together with community partners and stakeholders to test a pilot shuttle service for seniors in the township.

Hi, I'm Margaret Kunst. Community associations provide something council just can't get from a staff report alone. Local knowledge. I'd support regular structured communication between council, staff, and recognized community associations, particularly when major plans or projects affect their neighborhood. They shouldn't replace broader public consultation, but they should have a meaningful seat at the table. We also need to make available a small grant that can be applied for through our Township of Langley Grants program as in the past. And in four years, we can have maybe five more all-candidates meetings. That would be awesome.

Hi, Margaret. If there's one thing that Fort Langley has been talking about for probably 15 years, it's those trucks. So we would love to keep pushing the needle on getting trucks removed out of Fort Langley. But you know what? My husband and I, we own trucks and my husband actually regularly goes down to Glen Valley. So we know that trucks actually need to go into Glen Valley and they need a safe route to exit. But let's face it, when there's like B trains, concrete trucks and gravel trucks, they're not servicing farms in Fort Langley. They're actually using it as a bypass. So we have to have some good local delivery only zones and enforcement. So enforcement is really important. Thank you.

Okay good evening everyone, my name is Margaret Kunst. I'm a long time … Langley resident, I was born in the Murrayville Hospital. My husband and I owned a small business in the agriculture sector for about 25 years. I want to thank the Chamber tonight for hosting us. You really help all of us dive into the important issues that businesses are facing in the Township and in the region. If there's one thing I can think of that a business is really striving, it's trust that they're wanting to see and they're wanting to earn from people. They want, you want to be able to know that people trust your brand, trust your business, and that you're reliable. And that's what I would still want to bring after eight years to the Council table, I want to bring trust and respect. And I want that I want to earn that from you and I hope I've done that for the last eight years. So thank you for being here tonight and hearing from all the candidates. It's not easy sitting up here with notes or without notes, so I just respect every single person here that has the courage to sit up here and run for office, and anyway, thank you very much.

Hi, thank you everyone for coming tonight. I think one of the most important things to me is having good relationships with people, having good relationships with my Council members, and even though there's tension at the table, that's actually how you make a good decision. I'm running with Langley Strong this time. I was an independent candidate twice, and I know that the people that I'm running with, we share some similar values. We won't always agree, but regardless of who gets elected, if I if I have your vote, I promise I will get along with everybody at the table, which I think is really important in these trying times. Thank you very much.

Good evening, Fort Langley. My name is Margaret Kunst, and first I'd like to thank the volunteers at the Fort Langley Community Association for hosting us tonight and for all of you for coming to hear all of the candidates. For the past eight years, I've had the privilege of serving as your Township of Langley Councillor. I was born and raised in Langley. My husband and I raised our four children in this community. We built our business here, and now we enjoy watching our seven grandchildren grow up in this community. I ran twice as an independent, and throughout my time on council, I've approached every issue with an open mind … to ask questions and to listen to the people I represent. This time, I'm happy to be running with the Langley Strong team, because we share many of the same values and the priorities. I'll continue to bring my own experience and judgment to every decision I make at the council table. Thank you.

I wanted tonight to recognize the previous councils that did a lot of work. They sat here at these same all-candidates meetings. They were nervous. They got elected. We have mayors and councils to thank for everything that we are able to do today, because somebody did it, worked really hard before us. So I just want to recognize former mayors and councils. So tonight, I just want to thank everybody that came out tonight. My name is Margaret Kunst. I've been on council for eight years. I hope to be on council for another four years. What I bring to the table is a collaborative approach, common sense, and please vote Margaret Kunst and the Langley Strong team on October 17th. Thank you.