City Fact Check

Incorrect Statement: The Urban Forest Management Plan is not necessary as there are enough trees in Langford, and the recent presentation from the consultant working on the Plan confirms this.

Fact Check: The distribution of canopy cover across Langford is uneven. For example, 50% of South Langford is lacking canopy cover, while 81% of Langford’s City Centre is lacking canopy cover. As a result, Langford residents do not enjoy the same level of access to urban trees and their associated benefits, including improved air quality and reduced heat island effect. This uneven distribution, sometimes called canopy inequity, will affect Langford’s livability for residents with different demographic, social, and economic backgrounds. Older adults, for example, are often more vulnerable to extreme heat, and lower income households may not be able to afford home cooling systems.

The development of an Urban Forest Management plan will provide a clear direction for long-term urban forest management, build climate resiliency and address canopy inequity for residents as the City continues to grow at a rapid pace.

For details on the Urban Forest Management Plan including recordings of past presentations and reports, please see the list of resources linked below.

Resources:
Urban Forest Management Plan Project Page

April 15, 2024: Council Meeting Presentation by Diamond Head Consulting: “The State of Langford’s Urban Forest”. Video recording begins at 03:24 minutes

November 15, 2023: Open House Presentation

Incorrect Statement: Sidewalks are influenced by Council based on their personal preferences and place of residence.

Fact Check: The City selects sidewalk infill projects based on a matrix that is scored by professional experienced engineers, and based on the following criteria:

• proximity to schools
• proximity to transit
• safety
• proximity to parks, trails, senior centres, or public facilities
• proximity to town centres
• road classification

In addition to the matrix scoring, other factors are considered such as:

• projects where development and frontage improvements are not likely to occur in the near future
• input from residents and businesses
• presence of sidewalks on adjacent properties

Staff presented a top 10 priority list of proposed projects in accordance with the Sidewalk Infill Matrix (developed in 2023), for information and budget approval by Council in 2024. Sidewalk infill projects are funded from general amenity funds. See page 66 of the June 5, 2023, Council Agenda for more information on the matrix policy.

Incorrect Statement: Because of the increased subsidy provided by the City of Langford to the YMCA, the City is collecting an extra 4% of taxes in 2024.

Fact Check: In early 2023, the YMCA notified the City that due to continued financial losses at the YMCA Westhills location, the YMCA would cease operations as of March 31, 2023, if the City did not increase its subsidy by an additional $950,000.

This additional subsidy provided by the City to the YMCA resulted in an increase of 2.5% to the 2023 taxes.

For 2024, this subsidy results in a 0% tax increase as the amount of the subsidy does not increase from 2023 to 2024. If the City lowers the subsidy in future years, that reduction would decrease City expenses and would therefore lower future tax increases.

Based on the YMCA financial reporting provided to the City, the YMCA Westhills location incurred a loss of $63,852 in 2023, this loss factors in the additional subsidy from the City. The subsidy payments started in April of 2023, and a one-time rent forgiveness amount was also provided by Westhills Land Corporation. The 2023 financial reporting from the YMCA verifies that the additional subsidy was getting close to the amount needed for the facility to break even.

Incorrect Statement: Memberships at the YMCA Westhills location have returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, therefore the YMCA no longer requires an additional subsidy outside of the contracted amount.

Fact Check: Revenue from memberships at the YMCA Westhills location has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, memberships contributed $4,013,267 in revenues. While the YMCA is seeing steady membership growth since 2020, 2023 membership income at the YMCA Westhills location was $2,617,969, which is only 65% of pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, in 2019, when membership revenue was $4,013,267 and there was no additional subsidy, the YMCA lost $867,666 that year. While the YMCA did not ask the City of Langford for an additional subsidy in 2019, the YMCA effectively contributed an additional subsidy of $867,666. From 2016 – 2019, the YMCA Westhills location lost $5,500,000 and from 2020 – 2023 lost $4,300,000 for a total of $9,800,000 since the facility opened. These amounts are effectively subsidies provided to Langford residents and other facility users by the YMCA.

As membership revenues continue to grow, the City and the YMCA will continue to monitor the level of additional subsidy needed. At this time, based on the 2023 financial reporting, the additional subsidy from the City is necessary.

For background facts on the 2023 request from the YMCA to the City of Langford for additional funding please click here.

For background facts on the YMCA business case review and next steps as presented in during the 2024 budget process. please click here.

A copy of the most recent financial income statement, as provided to the City of Langford, is included below.