“We don’t want to recreate the wheel; we’re going to make some adjustments, “says Dorval mayoral candidate Marc Doret.
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Marc Doret says his 12 years as a Dorval councilor give him the experience necessary to become the city’s next mayor.
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“For me, this is a natural progression,” said Doret, who hopes to succeed Mayor Edgar Rouleau, who is leaving the top post after 16 years.
Municipal elections are scheduled for November 7.
“I have huge shoes to fill,” Doret said of Rouleau, who spent 13 years as a councilor before ascending to the mayor’s seat in 2005.
“We have had a great administration and I want it to continue,” Doret said. “We don’t want to recreate the wheel; let’s make some adjustments. “
So far, there are two other declared mayoral candidates: Marc Barrette and Richard Moreau.
Barrette previously ran for mayor in 2017 and 2013. In the 2017 elections, finished third with 6.36 percent of the total votes cast, while Rouleau won with more than 70 percent of the votes.
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Moreau has been a member of the city’s Urban Advisory Committee (CCU) since 2012.
Doret, who is part of the Dorval Action Team Party, received the endorsement of Rouleau for mayor.
The Dorval Action Team is running a roster of candidates, including incumbent councilors Paul Trudeau (District 1) and Bob Lesage (District 3).
Newcomers competing for council seats are Laura Mariani (District 2), Nicole Duchastel (District 4) and Jean-François Leroux (District 6).
Councilman Christopher von Roretz is running again as an independent in District 5.
Councilors Margo Heron (District 6) and Michel Hébert (District 2) are not seeking reelection.
Claude Valiquet (District 1), Pascal Brault (District 2) and François Labrecque (District 2) are also seeking council seats. Mike Nizzola also stated that he intends to run.
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Doret, a 57-year-old software implementation specialist, grew up in the Sunnybrooke neighborhood of Dollard-des-Ormeaux.
“I am a born and raised West Islander,” said Doret, who moved to Dorval in 1993 at the urging of his wife. “My wife (Tracey McLennan) grew up in Dorval and she always wanted us to raise our family here.”
Doret said he wants to pursue a greener future for the city and make parks and green spaces more accessible to residents. For example, if elected, he plans to open the Golf Dorval course to citizens for winter recreational activities, such as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Aside from the ongoing redevelopment along Dorval Ave., he said there isn’t much room left for development in the city.
Rachelle Cournoyer, a local resident who keeps a close eye on the affairs of the city through her “Citizens for a better Dorval ” Facebook page said Dorval needs “new blood” on the council.
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“We especially need a younger generation to take over the city,” he said.
“I think it was a good move on Mayor Rouleau’s part in graciously resigning. It would have been nice if I had let people know more ahead of time, but all of that plays into strategy. “
Cournoyer says the city needs to be more transparent in the way it runs its affairs, including civic committees. “Nobody knows who is on these committees; their memberships are secret. Their meetings are secret, their minutes are not published. “
Cournoyer, a Dorval resident since 1990, said the city has been run like an “old man’s club” for years.
“I would rather see someone else as mayor,” he said. “Mainly because I have been following the decisions of Marc Doret in the urban planning committee and I find that he does not defend the people of Dorval… I am not sure that he is a strong decision maker; it goes too much with the flow. “
Other concerns involve the city-approved demolition of residential homes and “monster” replacement homes being built throughout Dorval, “he said.
“Most people would like to see new houses that respect the character of the neighborhood.”
People have until October 1 to submit your application for municipal elections.
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Reference-montrealgazette.com