www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, October 23, 2014 | 40 by Michael Gregory Oakville Beaver Staff The election race in Ward 5 had brought residents' concern for air traffic noise to a head as incumbent Jeff Knoll faces a hard-fought challenge from former mayor Ann Mulvale, as well as Hugh Boyd, for the Local and Regional Council seat. Candidates vying for the Town Council seat in the Ward include incumbent Marc Grant, Ibrahim Daniyal, Del McIntee, Linda Nazareth and Bob Seccaspina. Mulvale, who has 23 years of municipal experience, said she decided to run after responding to a "call to action" by Ward 5 residents and others in Oakville. "I will be an independent representative that is not distracted with partisan political endeavours; someone who serves the people first," she said. Mulvale said ending gridlock, aircraft noise and tax fairness are among some of the big issues. "Oakville tax increases in 2011 and 2012 far exceeded the rate of inflation," she said. "We must keep expenditures in line and hold the Provincial and Federal governments to account for paying their fair share of expenses." Knoll has served as a councillor for 14 years and also is the CEO of Oakville's Film.ca cinemas. "I decided to run again to continue to be part of the plan to protect our existing residents from the impact of development, protect the environment and our public health, and keep taxes and spending under control," he said. Knoll has been at the forefront of local efforts to combat air traffic noise caused by the flight path. "After unsuccessfully trying to get the federal government to take responsibility and address concerns raised by our community, I led the town and region's efforts to work directly with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority," he said. Knoll said managing debt and taxes, combatting traffic congestion, and building infrastructure are issues he's set to tackle next term. "Oakville is the most livable community in Canada, and we have to work together to maintain our quality of life and provide opportunities for our youth," he said. Hugh Boyd is a past executive on the River Oaks Residents Association and retired business executive. "My business experience in developing and managing budgets, long-term strategic planning, negotiating, and leading teams will add value to being a Regional Councillor," he said. "I appreciate the importance of listening to others as a way of understanding challenges and moving forward." Boyd said he opposes any suggestion of Oakville adopting the Municipal Land Transfer Tax and promises to maintain the charm and atmosphere of the Ward. "I will closely monitor development of the lands north of Dundas," he said. Town Council incumbent Marc Grant said he's concerned with maintaining the old while welcoming the new into the Ward. "As those (new) communities grow, I want to ensure that our older communities have the same continuity of care with properly maintained facilities, attractive resources and safe roads," he said. Grant has volunteered as a Scout leader, on parent/teacher councils, and for more than five years was the house cook on weekends for Oakville's only homeless shelter. "I have the knowledge of all the Town programs and policies, as well as a good working relationship with the staff and community partners to continue being effective as we continue the year," he said. Ibrahim Daniyal is a small business owner and team leader at RE/MAX. "The biggest challenge is the way our town is growing," he said. "Our transportation system is causing more congestion and more noise while providing less safety and making it take longer to get around." Daniyal has past experience as a political analyst and social rights advocate. He is committed to easing congestion by making streets more pedestrian- and cyclistfriendly, and by improving transit. "We need to improve our local transit system Ward 5 Local/Regional with such measures as new bus routes north of Dundas, a grid route connecting Ward 5 with Dorval Drive and bus routes that travel more directly to the GO station," he said. Del McIntee is involved in marketing with a computer IT services company and feels residents should be consulted more on changes in the Ward. "I have worked with developers in the past and helped those at the Ward level adjust to new development and sometimes force change," he said. McIntee said traffic, speeding and overall gridlock were issues brought to him by residents during the campaign. "I will be advocating for a full review of this, which means studies and follow-up actions," he said. "I would also try to work closely with the police to try and ensure effective enforcement in our Ward." Economist, author and former Business News Network broadcaster Linda Nazareth has crunched the Town's numbers and says they don't add up. "A huge issue to me is the amount of spending and taxation that has taken place in Oakville over the past few years," she said. "Over the period from 2009 to 2013 -- just four years -- town spending rose by 23 per cent. In turn, the size of government grew by 24 per cent. That is not good value for money." She said Ward 5 is growing quicker then other areas of Oakville, which means residents, new and old, should have a "strong, confident voice" on council. "We need new ideas, and we need a brand of professionalism that I believe is now lacking," she said. "I would be thrilled to use my skills as an economist and a communicator to take the town forward." Bob Seccaspina ran a successful entrepreneurial consulting venture and is an IT consultant at a major North American software organization. "Oakville needs a new perspective, a strong articulate voice to stand up for the people of Ward 5," he said. "I am the candidate who will be accessible and will meet the challenges we face." Seccaspina has lived in Oakville for close to 25 years and also said gridlock, unmanaged growth and taxes are top of mind. "My priority will be to fix traffic congestion and mitigate uncontrolled sprawl," he said. "Gridlocked streets keep us from getting to work on time and make it difficult to get home to our families." Seccaspina also promises to ensure more transparency at council and respond directly to calls from constituents. "We need someone who looks out for their interests and someone who will sustain our quality of life," he said. 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Damoff is the chair of the Santa Claus Parade and Oakville Terry Fox Run, and co-founder of Cycle Oakville. She is also the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for community service. "I am seeking re-election because I love representing the residents of Ward 2 on Council and feel I can continue to make a positive contribution to the Town and its residents," Damoff said, calling the saving of the Oakville Arena one of her proudest accomplishments this past term. "Working with residents, stakeholders, staff, and Ward 2 colleague Councillor Cathy Duddeck, council voted to preserve Oakville Arena and see it being refurbished during the next term of council," she said. Duddeck has served as a town councillor for seven years, and has been the regional and town councillor for the past four. "As an active volunteer in the community, I VOTE 2014 enjoy giving back to my hometown," she said. "I am very concerned about growth and infill development -- growth should not take place at the expense of our existing residents." Duddeck volunteers with Oakville Red Cross, the Terry Fox Run and Oakville Waterfront Board, and has fostered seven puppies with Lions Foundation Dog Guides. She sees transit and day-to-day mobility around Oakville as one of the biggest issues facing residents. "We need to improve how people get around the town especially with more residents moving into an already constrained area," Duddeck said. David Lee is a former chair of the Group Homes Advisory where he led the establishment of the Lady Aberdeenshire Group Home for Independent Living. Lee, 80, was unsuccessful in his bid for the Ward 2 seat in the 2000 election. He said he was the only member of the public who spoke in support of the re-zoning of the Salvary Army's Lighthouse Shelter. Lee takes issue with the Town's communication with residents and as councillor promised to improve the sharing of information. "I will revive the Broardside, a successful not-for-profit community paper that I designed and published in 1989 for the West Oakville Ratepayers Inc.," he said.