HaltonHillsToday is profiling every candidate in the upcoming municipal election. Up next - candidates running for mayor.
It’s safe to say local residents won’t soon forget Norm Paulsen’s bid for the mayor seat.
From using props and roast-style jabs at his fellow candidates at one mayoral candidate meeting to offending some with his commentary at another, he has grabbed people’s attention in more ways than one during the local election race.
The owner of Acton Motors said he decided to run for the top spot on council as he thought he could do a better job than the candidates who filed before him.
Paulsen said the biggest issues facing the municipality right now are growth, and the need for affordable housing for young people and seniors.
He said he wants to “streamline and modernize the building department process to ease the shortage of housing stock within the urban boundaries.”
“And I would like to allow people to put secondary units on their property or on their homes,” he said during a recent mayoral forum hosted by the Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce. “We have the space, we have the material, we have the know-how and we can raise the capital. So why can't we do it?”
When it comes to the functions at Town Hall, Paulsen said he wants to focus on municipal customer service, accountability and transparency in governance, including a line-by-line audit of Town spending.
“I would also like to revive in-person (council) meetings in the evenings, enabling the general public to attend,” he said.
On the public transportation front, he said he would like to see the ActiVan or another small type of transit vehicle put on a route between Acton, Georgetown, Hornby and Milton.
When asked how he would ensure Acton has a voice in debates at council during Wednesday’s mayoral candidate meeting, Paulsen said he would have “no bias here, even though I’m a native Actonian.”
“I would treat everyone in Halton Hills equally and with respect,” he said.
He noted that Acton’s problems related to housing, traffic and taxes are not that unique.
“I would deal with them logically and responsibly,” he said, “I would make sure that you’re represented and heard at regional council."
In addition to operating longtime local business Acton Motors, Paulsen is also on the board of directors for the Downtown Acton BIA.
