Mazhar Choudhry is a technology special-ist who has worked as a private contractor for the federal government on projects both big and small.

Among other things, Choudhry is chair of the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum and he is the founder and president of the Cumberland Cricket Club. In that capacity, he led the campaign to establish a cricket ground at Millennium Park.

Of the six challengers running against Matt Luloff in Orléans East-Cumberland, Choudhry has been the incumbent councillor’s harshest critic by far, accusing him of failing to meet the needs of local residents and businesses.

Among the key issues he is focused on are the decaying state of many of the roads in Orléans and Cumberland, and the ongoing delays and maintenance issues with the O-Train and the expansion of light rail to Trim Road.

“Orléans residents deal with crumbling roads, endless LRT delays and zero account-ability. We’re done waiting. When I am elected, every project gets a public timeline, regular updates and consequences when deadlines are missed,” Choudhry states on his website.

He is also vehemently opposed to orders by the city and the federal government for workers to return to their offices five days a week, which impacts thousands of federal employees and city workers who live in the east end.

He believes workers should either con-tinue to have the option to work from home, or the city should work with the federal government to bring the offices to where the workers are.

“Thousands of public servants live in Orléans but commute downtown every day,” Choudhry argues. “Federal offices belong where the workers are. Bring them here and end the Highway 174 gridlock.”

As far as the east end’s recreational needs are concerned, Choudhry thinks the city should be investing a lot more money in recreational facilities in the area, starting with the expansion of local bike paths and the creation of cycling stations near cafes or other local eateries.

“We need safe, continuous cycling routes connecting Orléans neighbourhoods to LRT stations, schools, businesses and Ottawa’s broader cycling network,” says Choudhry.

“Any new routes should include rest stops and bike stations along local cafes so riders can lock up, grab a coffee and keep riding, creating a win-win situation for both cyclists and local businesses.

If elected, Choudhry would go after more dollars to improve area parks and local park infrastructure.

Choudhry’s biggest claim is that he is not affiliated with any political party. In fact, he ran as an independent in Orléans in last year’s federal election.

“After two decades building technology solutions for government and enterprise, I’ve seen firsthand how the right systems and the right leadership can transform outcomes,” says Choudhry. “Orléans has everything it needs except someone willing to do the work, and I’m ready.”

To learn more about Mazhar Choudry and his platform simply visit choudhry.org. You can also follow him on Instagram at mazrnow.