The blackout period is officially over. The application deadline has passed. And over the course of the next 2 months, every single moment in time could be the difference between a seat at City Hall or a seat in the political bleachers. Joining Andrew Pinsent for the inaugural edition of the City Issues Panel are Ottawa Citizen columnist Brigitte Pellerin and veteran City Hall reporter Jon Willing.

On today's edition:

1. If elected, mayoral candidate Jeff Leiper vows to reverse the return-to-office mandates for City of Ottawa employees, while also lobbying the feds to reverse course on their return-to-office plan. Beyond municipal workers, is there any political risk with pushing for policy changes at a level of government you don’t control?
2. The 'commute from hell' is almost here, as we are just days away from a new learning season. More government workers will also be headed Downtown. Depending on how September goes, is public transit a make-or-break issue for Ottawa's mayoral candidates?
3. River Ward councillor Riley Brockington, who has already been acclaimed for another round of duty at City Hall, wants to rename Ottawa's Trump Avenue.