What's the biggest municipal election issue in Ward 5 – West Carleton-March?

Quick facts about the West Carleton-March ward

Incumbent: Eli El-Chantiry, not running for re-election

Candidates running:

Colin Driscoll, Sasha Duguay, Clarke Kelly, Stephanie Maghnam, Greg Patacairk, Nagmani Sharma and Ian Madill

Where is Ward 5?

SURVEY RESULTS

Do you reside within this ward?

Colin Driscoll: Did not participate

Sasha Duguay: Yes

Clarke Kelly: Did not participate

Stephanie Maghnam: Yes

Greg Patacairk: Yes

Nagmani Sharma: Did not participate

Ian Madill: Yes

Why do you think you’re the best person to represent your ward?

Colin Driscoll: Did not participate

Sasha Duguay: “I bring both political and business experience. I am raising my family here. As a Conservative, wife, small business owner and hobby farmer, I understand the concept of living within your means while making sure that core services are maintained”

Clarke Kelly: Did not participate

Stephanie Maghnam: “I have an extensive record with a demonstrated commitment to our community and residents. I represented the region with various volunteer roles over the years. I have championed greenspace preservation by establishing the Dunrobin Parkette and addressing food insecurity. I am ready to get to work”

Greg Patacairk: “I have proven leadership and proven results. Volunteer awards include the Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence, the Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal and the Ottawa Fire Chief’s Commendation Award. My teams have received the Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award and the Community Builder of the Year award from the United Way”

Nagmani Sharma: Did not participate

Ian Madill: “I believe in loyalty, integrity, honesty and a hard day’s work. With these traits, I will fight for policies and programs toward a vibrant, resilient and healthy community that is safe, affordable and supportive of its residents, businesses and vast rural landscape”

What is the most important issue in your ward? Why?

Colin Driscoll: Did not participate

Sasha Duguay: “A common theme I have heard from West Carleton-March residents is that there are a lot of resources devoted to urban centre projects, leaving so much more to be done for our rural area. I will fight to see that our neighbours in West Carleton-March are given their fair share of the budget to maintain and even improve the core services we all count on and deserve”

Clarke Kelly: Did not participate

Stephanie Maghnam: “Prioritizing road maintenance by the condition of our streets. Our rural roads are in desperate need of maintenance and repair. We need to make sure that we prioritize the needed investment in our roads. Infrastructure, maintenance and safety of our existing roads and pathways with links for cyclists are important. I am committed to broader community consultations on roads as we prioritize safety and accessibility”

Greg Patacairk: “Basic services are the bread and butter of a city. For Ward 5 residents, they want the city to excel at those basics. Roads, snow clearing and keeping the ward maintained is simply what most want. Although we’ve seen many improvements in the ward in the last few years with respect to our roads, we know that there are main commuter roads that take a lot of abuse, as well as streets that need extra attention because of damage due to flooding or having been under-designed for the traffic they now take. I commit to working harder than any other candidate to address this issue for my constituents”

Nagmani Sharma: Did not participate

Ian Madill: Submitted multiple issues, awaiting updated response

What is the most important issue citywide?

Colin Driscoll: Did not participate

Sasha Duguay: “The increasing cost of living is becoming a major issue and I am fully aware that we must live within our means. To achieve this, I will push for council and the City of Ottawa’s auditor to do a full review of all programs and services to make sure we are getting full value for our money. We need to prioritize our limited tax dollars on core services”

Clarke Kelly: Did not participate

Stephanie Maghnam: “Having safe and reliable public transportation service is critical in how we move as a city. To have world-class public transportation, it has to be safe for all people to use, it has to be a reliable source of transportation and it has to be efficient. To have this world-class transit for our city, we need to establish clear ‘best practices’ for each critical component in the LRT, and ensure the oversight is funded to implement the ongoing maintenance that’s needed to keep these trains operating within their respective life span”

Greg Patacairk: “Inflation is the biggest challenge to the city and its budget. I am committed to holding the line on taxes, with sub-2.5 per cent increases being a reasonable goal for a growing and thriving city. Having seen our first responders in action during the tornado and flooding events while volunteering in our ward, I know first-hand that the men and women who work for us deserve the stability of their paycheques. Instead of cutting wages or staff as many others may threaten, I commit to delaying lower priority city projects to help meet our budget”

Nagmani Sharma: Did not participate

Ian Madill: “Fiscal responsibility. As council, there needs to be a renewed effort to use our taxpayer dollars to fund key services and programs important to all members of our community in a responsible, fiscal manner. There needs to be a push to become trustworthy on how funds are spent for all levels of services and projects within the City of Ottawa. With recent high-profile issues, the opportunity for a new council to bring the commitment to fiscal responsibility forward is now”

1. How and where to vote in the 2022 Ottawa municipal election

2. Here are the candidates for the 2022 Ottawa municipal election

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