The campaign manager for Langley Strong said the rival Progress For Langley campaign has violated local election rules by using Township facilities under construction to film ads, and by posting election signs before the campaign has officially begun.

This comes in the wake of the Township having several Langley Strong campaign signs taken down in late June because they violated local bylaws.

Langley Strong announced on Thursday, Aug. 6 that it has filed formal complaints with Langley’s chief election officer over both online videos and physical placards created by Progress For Langley this year.

“It’s about a level playing field,” said Derek Robson, campaign manager for Langley Strong. “Are the rules for everybody, and will they be enforced evenly?”

Mayor Eric Woodward, who heads the Progress For Langley slate, called the accusations an election stunt.

“Once again, they say they are a ‘positive path forward’ yet all they seem to do is attack people, mock people and target our personal lives,” Woodward said via email.

He said they were also trying to deflect from Progress For Langley’s accomplishments.

“While they are focused on me and their latest smear, we are focused on the future of Langley, and residents and taxpayers,” Woodward said.

Some of Langley Strong’s complaints centre on a series of campaign videos posted on YouTube, featuring individual candidates talking about projects undertaken over the past term.

Some of the videos feature council candidates at active construction sites for new Township facilities, with Councillor Tim Baillie on the site of the new Brookswood firehall while it was being built, or Coun. Rob Rindt touring the partially completed soccer facility at the Smith Athletic Park. They also single out footage of Coun. Steve Ferguson at his desk in the Township civic facility, and some other material showing Township logos.

Robson pointed to a bulletin published by the Township on its website about “Campaign usage of Township locations and assets.”

The overview notes that public areas of Township facilities can be used for making campaign videos during regular public hours.

However, candidates and representatives can’t use or access non-public or other restricted spaces.

“That includes all areas or facilities that are under construction,” the guidelines say.

It adds that using logos of the Township is prohibited, something else singled out by Langley Strong in the complaint, as park signs or Township logos on fire trucks appeared in some videos.

It goes on to say that videos, photos, and images created by the Township staff may not be used as part of campaign materials. Langley Strong points to a rendering of the future new ice rinks complex at the Langley Events Centre that allegedly appeared on a Progress For Langley sign.

The other ads singled out by Langley Strong were placed on private property in Fort Langley around B.C. Day, and were apparently only up briefly. However, Langley Strong alleges that breaks the same rules that saw some of their ads removed just over a month ago.

“Our concern is that they shouldn’t be used again, until an election sign can be up,” Robson said.

A Township bylaw regulating election signs only allows them “from 9 a.m. on the 21st day prior to general voting day, until four days after general voting day.”

That was the same rule that Langley Strong ran into in late June.

Posters attacking Progress For Langley over municipal debt issues, and touting Langley Strong’s mayoral candidate Jay Lundgren, went up in June in local bus shelters, but were removed on June 25. The Township contacted the advertising firm and informed the company that the ads were “election or political” and were in violation of an election sign bylaw.

As of Friday, Aug. 7, Langley Strong said its current complaint was under review by the Township’s chief electoral officer.

Progress For Langley has five elected positions on the nine-member Township council, including the mayor’s seat. They’re now being challenged by Langley Strong, which was joined by the four other sitting councillors. Both campaigns are running full slates in the election scheduled for Oct. 17.