Mayor Horstman apologizes for Fourth fireworks, cites short police staffing and county coverage

Mayor Kennedy Horstman apologized to residents for fireworks within city limits during the Fourth of July weekend and called the incident a leadership failure on her part. She told the council the Langley Police Department is staffed with only two officers and that, to ensure emergency coverage, the Island County Sheriff’s Office has provided 911 coverage when Langley officers are not scheduled.

In an extended draft statement presented to the council, Horstman said, “It should not have happened without law enforcement response. I want to be very clear, however, that this was not an operational failure of the City of Langley Police department, the Island County Sheriff’s Office or ICOM – our 911 operator. It was a leadership failure on my part.” She said the city is recruiting police officers and promised at minimum to provide advanced warning of coverage limitations if staffing does not improve by next July.

Horstman also addressed a separate issue tied to the Langley Infrastructure Project on Furman Drive, explaining the city’s protocol for addressing tree roots encountered during construction. The statement summarized arborist input that alternate trenching techniques reduce root impacts but do not guarantee tree survivability and noted that, given safety and shared liability concerns, the property owner supports removal of the trees. The mayor said the city will request council authorization if additional spending is necessary.