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MEET YOUR CANDIDATE: Cosper zeroes in on Town budget as priority

Greg Cosper was responsible for multi-million dollar corporate budgets in his career and is pledging to ensure local taxpayers' dollars are put to their best use if elected
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Greg Cosper.

HaltonHillsToday is profiling every candidate in the upcoming municipal election. Up next - candidates running in Ward 2 (rural Halton Hills, Glen Williams and Norval).

While Ward 2 candidate Greg Cosper hopes to tackle traffic and development should he get elected, he believes the municipal budget should get his attention the most.

“My priority is really digging into the budget, really understanding how the budget works and making sure that we're adhering to that,” he said when asked what his priorities will be in the first 100 days of being elected. 

The now-retired North American sales executive said he spent a lot of his career crunching numbers and managed $500-million budgets in the corporate world. 

As Halton Hills grows, so too does Cosper’s desire to guide that growth and preserve the beauty of the local hamlets. He plans to do this by “challenging the planners.” 

“Just don't come in and start building up buildings all over the place. Don't knock down historic homes that are sitting on three lots in downtown Glen Williams and put up an apartment building there where it doesn't fit.”

When asked how he will deal with developers, who wield considerable power, he said, “I've dealt with some pretty powerful people in the retail industry, so I think they're just like everybody else. It's just a matter of sitting down and talking and bringing the sides together.”

For over 35 years, he said he delivered results by listening to people's concerns, understanding their issues and taking action. 

Among Cosper's other priorities are: finding a solution to local traffic issues to ensure the safety of local residents, advancing resources that benefits seniors and youth in the community, and bolstering economic development for local businesses and farms.

Coming from a family of hikers, he also hopes to “preserve nature” in places like Silver Creek and Limehouse among other areas.

Despite a large list of goals on his agenda, it appears that politics may be a welcome break for him. 

Born in Seattle, Washington, his jet-setting career saw him in the air travelling to multitudes of places. He and his wife fell in love with the small-town charm of Glen Williams and have been living in their current home for 12 years.

He said he's running for office to dedicate himself full-time to giving back to the community as a councillor.