Council newcomers gearing up for municipal election race

With some members of Halton Hills Council retiring, and a plethora of new candidates throwing their hats in the ring, there's no doubt that some new faces will represent local residents after the Oct. 24 municipal election.

In Halton Hills, two local councillors are elected in each of the town's four wards, along with a mayor and two regional councillors.

There are three new mayoral candidates - Norm Paulsen, Robert Gottardi and Ken Paige - who are fighting to fill Rick Bonnette's seat against incumbent councillors Bryan Lewis and Ann Lawlor.

To see what other council incumbents' intentions are, click here.

Here's a preview of the councillor candidates who are either going up against current members or vying for empty seats on Halton Hills Council.

Stay tuned for full profiles of all candidates in the coming weeks.

Ward 1

Alex Hilson-  Among the youngest candidates, Hilson is known locally for his work with the Acton BIA (currently on a leave of absence) and the Halton Hills Optimists Club. 

He said he's running for council to better position himself to address concerns that local residents were bringing to him at the BIA.

"I received a lot of different questions (from the public). I made it my job to answer them as best as I could.”

Hilson is going up against current Ward 1 Councillors Jon Hurst and Mike Albano.

Ward 2

Joseph Racinsky- The youngest candidate on the ballot at age 20, Racinsky used to work for Milton MPP Parm Gill and has experience working at other levels of government. He said he's running to be a voice for his neighbours. 

“I really care about representation. That's the biggest thing," he said. "I love this community. This is my home community."

Jason Brass- Brass is well-known locally as president and CEO of Terra Cotta Cookies. With a desire to have greater influence on decisions made for the community, he decided to put his name forward on the election ballot.

“I really enjoy being part of the community,” said Brass, who's on the board of Bennett Village long-term care home and formerly served on the Chamber of Commerce board.

Peter Snow- A psychotherapist by trade, Snow said he feels like he can articulate social policy for the largest but least populated part of town.

“As a social worker, I know I can advocate for what I care about. That's pretty much what we do. But it was important to me [to be] that representative voice for the rural part of the town,” he said.

Maureen Gillham- Gillham has deep roots in the town. The retired Province of Ontario civil servant said she running because she feels like she'll be comfortable with Town policy.

“I grew up in Georgetown, raised my children here. I love the town. I've worked for both federal and provincial governments, so I'm comfortable in that kind of atmosphere,” she said.

Matt Kindbom- Kindbom had a prestigious career working abroad working for the United Nations Centre for Human Rights in Geneva Switzerland, among many other similar positions. Looking around locally, he said he sees change on the horizon and wants to be ready for it.

“I think it's a crucial time for the ward. The future has come knocking and we have to answer the call.”

Bryan Robinson- The former firefighter and current real estate agent thought about running during the 2018 municipals, but “too many things were going on” at the time for that to happen.

“My reason for running this year is because of where I am in life. I’ve got my business in a really good place. I’ve got a lot of support to help leverage my time.”

Greg Cosper- The recently-retired sales and marketing representative and American by birth said when he saw the two empty seats in Ward 2, he jumped at the chance to show his gratitude to the community that adopted him. 

"I thought this is (a position where) I could use my business background and my ability to bring people together to talk and put it to good use."

Geoff Maltby- The owner of Cody's Cows did not mince his words when asked why he was running. He feels that council does not do a good job of representing the voices of farmers.

"I've felt the current council that has been sitting hasn't been representing the actual rural residents appropriately," he said. "I feel government should be more proactive in telling people openly why things are happening, the reasons that they're happening and when things are going to happen."

There are no incumbents running in Ward 2 as current Councillor Bryan Lewis is running for mayor, while Councillor Ted Brown is retiring.

Ward 3

Chantal Garneau- The local meditation instructor named “a sense of responsibility” as among her reasons for wanting to run. She brings with her political experience as a student representative and community volunteer.

“I've been involved in local politics since I was 16," she said. "I volunteered with a number of different organizations throughout my life.”

Drew Pullman- The downtown Georgetown business owner said he wants to be a “voice for medium-sized businesses.”

He said one of his key focuses is his desire to help businesses “get established here and make sure that the town is as supportive of that as possible."

Syl Carle- The former RCMP officer and candidate for the People's Party of Canada said he wants to keep a keen eye on how Georgetown grows and make sure it happens from the ground up.

“The growth now is targeted to be happening in Halton Hills, and I think we have to find ways to minimize the impact on the current residents.”

Waldo Paquete- Paquete works for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School board. This is not his first rodeo as he ran in 2010 due to his frustrations with traffic in Halton Hills. He's trying again because, according to him, traffic safety hasn't changed and he wants to be part of the solution.

"That's still an issue and it has gotten worse in this town."

Ron Norris- Norris is a food industry professional. He and his wife, Sandi, moved to Georgetown in 1987. He hopes to bring his experience as a sales professional to council.

"In my management positions, I have encouraged others to excel at customer satisfaction. Now, I would like to bring these experiences and skills to a new commitment."

There are two seats open in Ward 3 as Councillor Wendy Farrow-Reed is running for a regional position, while Councillor Moya Johnson has pulled out of the race due to a recent cancer diagnosis.

Ward 4

D’Arcy Keene- Keene, a businessman, ran in the 2018 election. Though he lost by 300 votes, he said he was highly encouraged by the result and is running again with a goal of helping Georgetown residents preserve their quality of life.

“Because our campaign last time was so successful, I received a lot of encouragement to run the second time,” he said. 

Blake Mandarino- Mandarino is an assistant grocery store manager who has always been interested in politics. He said the town’s growth and retiring councillors showed him the time to run is now.

“We're in a very transitionary point in the town's history with the growth that's coming. So it's a really important time to have some voices heard and especially some new voices on council.”

The men are in the race for two seats against current Ward 4 Councillor Bob Inglis as his counterpart, Ann Lawlor, is running for mayor.