Municipal elections in Ottawa: nominations open Monday

As of 8:30 a.m. on Monday, candidates can be registered and even if the local elections do not take place before October 24, the municipal elections office, on Cyrville Road, has already filled up with candidates. potentials willing to submit their documents and pay their application fees.

Candidates are not allowed to spend a penny on their campaigns until they are registered. The sooner they take this step, the sooner they can start printing brochures, ordering campaign signs and organizing fundraisers.

The registration date closes on August 19, but for those wishing to replace a serving councilor or vying for a coveted seat, it is essential to start campaigning as soon as possible.

A campaign without Jim Watson

Indeed, with almost a third of council members having already announced that they will not run again, this year’s campaign promises to be much more interesting than the last two.

Perhaps more importantly, this is the first year in more than a decade that Jim Watson will not run for mayor.

In 2010, he was a favorite when he ran against incumbent mayor, Larry O’Brien – who had just had four tumultuous years, including an influence peddling trial, for which he was ultimately found not guilty. Faced with nearly 20 candidates, Mr. Watson had then collected almost half of the votes that year.

In two much less contested elections then, Mr Watson won re-election by winning more than 70% of the vote each time.

But now that the latter is moving away from municipal politics, the place is available.

The change that a new mayor will bring cannot be underestimated. Mr. Watson was unique in recent municipal history in his ability to convince a majority of councilors to stand by him on virtually every file. His detractors have dubbed his supporters on the council The Watson Clubbut many politicians are sure to envy Mr Watson’s hold on the council.

Could a new mayor take the city in a new direction, with lower transit fares or higher taxes, for example? Hard to say, especially since it may not be as easy to convince the other elected officials around the council table.

Two members of the current city council have already announced their intention to run for mayor, although neither Diane Deans neither Catherine McKenney are only expected to apply this week.

On the other hand, the former mayor of Ottawa and former provincial Liberal minister, Bob Chiarelli, has already made an appointment on Monday morning to submit his candidacy.

At least seven new advisers

There will also be other significant changes around the board table.

With Diane Deans and Catherine McKenney which target the town hall, the voters of their respective neighborhoods of Gloucester Southgate and Somerset will have to elect new representatives.

Jan Harderwhich represents barrhaven since 1997, will not run again. Additionally, in 2022, an additional neighborhood will be added to represent the rapidly growing community of barrhavencalled barrhaven East.

After 12 years on the board, Keith Egli in Knoxdale–Merivale and Scott Moffatt of the Rideau-G rural neighborhoodoulbourn – who will soon change their name – also said they would not put their name on the list of candidates in 2022. In the Alta Vista neighborhood, held for two terms by Jean Cloutier, residents will also have to find a new councilor this fall.

That’s seven wards so far, not counting outgoing councilors who have yet to decide whether to run again, and elected officials who could lose their seats.

New faces around the council table may have other plans for the city. Will a new board still be in favor of stage 3 light rail at a cost of five billion dollars? What will the next city council do to revitalize downtown after the pandemic? How will he approach the housing and climate issues, assessed as priorities by the current council?

Also what about the proposed $332 million project to upgrade the park? Lansdowne, last week? This month, city officials must decide whether to approve an estimated $8 million to work on, among other things, a funding strategy to replace the bleachers on the north side of the stadium and the former civic center arena. .

But the final decision around this project will be taken next year, by the group of people newly elected in October. They could decide to go ahead just as they could decide to cancel the project altogether or modify it significantly.

This election for City Hall is important, as the recent experience with the trucking convoy reminded us. This is arguably the most important municipal election in years. And it starts on Monday.

With information from Joanne Chianelloof The Canadian News