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(Posted
8:30 a.m., Sept. 16)
Innes Ward hopeful hopes second time's the charm
By Wade Morris
OrleansOnline.ca
When
Innes Ward candidate Laura Dudas lost to Jody Mitic in
the race to replace former city councillor Rainer Bloess
in the 2014 municipal election, she had no idea that she
would get a second chance just four years later, but that's
the position she found herself in when Mitic announced
in the spring that he would not be seeking reelection
for personal reasons.
The
Blackburn Community Association president is considered
one of the favourites to replace Mitic if for no other
reason than the success she had the last time around when
she finished second to Mitic with 19.5 per of the vote.
Her
nearest rival was Fran�ois Tr�panier who's also running
again. Tr�panier finished 561 behind Dudas. The other
two candidates in the race are former Bloess assistant
Donna Leith-Gudbranson and Tammy Lynch who has been Mitic's
assistant for the past four years.
Dudas
says she would be "absolutely honoured� should the voters
of Innes Ward elect her to represent them on the next
city council. Her main motivation for running is to help
the ward achieve its full potential as a community.
"I
love the east end,� says Dudas. "I'm incredibly passionate
about where we could go and the opportunities we have.�
Among
those opportunities is repairing roads, supporting job
growth and enhancing greenspaces.
"We
need to repair our deteriorating roads, and we need to
improve transit,� Dudas told the Orléans Star during
a recent interview.
Dudas
hopes to extend Brian Coburn Boulevard to Renaud Road;
widen Ottawa Road 174; and ensure that LRT stations are
equipped to handle users' needs.
If
elected Dudas says she will work with the mayor and other
like-minded councillors to keep property tax increases
capped at two per cent or less, and hold annual budget
meetings to collect input from Innes Ward residents.
"Our
property taxes need to be kept reasonable and affordable,�
says Dudas.
She
also wants the east end to see more economic growth, saying
that it would reduce traffic congestion, increase property
values, and benefit existing businesses.
Also
included in Dudas' platform is promoting community safety.
She hopes to ensure that police are equipped with sufficient
resources to keep Innes Ward safe. Additionally, she would
add traffic calming and speeding enforcement mea-sures
on residential streets.
Dudas
explains that greenspaces are "essential to maintaining
the quality of life� in Innes Ward. As councillor, she
would ensure that greenspaces are considered in residential
and retail developments, and that waste diversion initiatives
are supported.
After
working in the City of Ottawa's communication department
for the last seven years, Dudas says she has both the
knowledge and the experience to get things done.
"I've
been able to see how the city operates from the inside,�
she says. "I have the unique experience of knowing how
the city functions and how it can do better.�
As
president of the Blackburn Community Association for the
past eight years Dudas says she's played a key role making
the community a better place to live, work and play.
"I
represented residents, worked with other community associations,
and deliv-ered services and projects to the east end,�
she says.
Dudas
has been involved with various community activities. For
example, she was the chair of the Harvest Moon celebration,
an outdoor farm-themed event held last September in Barrington
Park. She has served as a member of both the Orleans Branch
of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Good Shepherd School's
Parent Council.
According
to Dudas, participating in these community projects has
given her the opportunity to learn about the concerns
and priorities of Innes Ward residents.
Ottawa
voters will head to the polls on Oct. 22. A special advanced
poll will be held from Oct. 4 to Oct. 9 at the Fran�ois
Dupuis Recreation Complex on Portobello Blvd. between
10 a.m. and 8 p.m. A second advanced poll will be held
on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at various locations in the ward.
(This story
was made possible thanks to the generous support of our
local business partners.)
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