A fight over Langley City’s code of conduct for council members has cost $328,000 so far.
Those numbers were disclosed at the Monday, May 25 meeting, when the mayor and councillors approved an increase in the budget for legal fees from $90,000 to $500,000, among other amendments to the 2026-2030 financial plan bylaw.
A staff summary described the need for the boost as “unanticipated legal and professional costs related to labour, employment and investigation matters.”
When Councillor Teri James asked how much of that was spent on code of conduct investigations, Councillor Delaney Mack said “those items are all confidential” and making reference to them would be a violation of the Community Charter, provincial rules that govern municipal governments.
City Chief Administrative Officer Francis Cheung disagreed. “At least part of it at this point [in the process] is not confidential.”
Cheung reported the code of conduct investigations cost $186,000 in 2025 and $142,000 so far this year.
“Essentially this $500,000 additional ask, for the most part, is related to the code of conduct issues?,” James asked.
“I would suspect that most of the $500,000 will be allocated towards the code of conduct investigation and defending the city through the petition,” Cheung replied.
Langley City is facing higher legal expenses, and fingers are being pointed at 1 councillor in particular. pic.twitter.com/iyEKJeZ9bO
— Langley Advance Times (@LangleyTimes) May 27, 2026
James and Mack have been at odds over comments by Mack to a resident, in an email that appeared on Facebook.
James filed a complaint in 2025 saying the comments violated the City’s code of conduct, which requires councillors to “accurately and in a positive manner, communicate the decisions of the council, even if they disagree with the majority decision of council.”
James’ complaint said that Mack’s comments on a number of issues were neither positive nor accurate, launching a process that can result in sanctions, such as a letter of reprimand, a request for an apology, remedial training, or removing the councillor from posts on City committees.
On May 6, Mack launched a lawsuit over the complaint, saying the council and mayor violated her Charter rights to free speech.
Cheung said defending the suit would add to the expenses.
“We’re just in the beginning process of filing a response to the petition,” the CAO remarked. “So, a lot of legal fees.”
Mack told the Langley Advance Times her lawyer has contacted the City about the May 25 meeting.
“$500K is being wasted trying to persecute me for my political speech,” Mack said.
In Mack’s earlier court filing she said she had asked for James’ complaint to be dismissed at an early stage, because she claimed it was “retaliation” for two previous complaints Mack made against other councillors.
Mack is asking the courts to order that any decision on James’ complaint against her be stayed, pending a full judicial review.
None of the allegations in Mack’s court petition has been proven in court, and the City had not yet filed a response as of Wednesday, May 27.