Next Tuesday, July 22, registered Republicans will gather at Saxe Middle School to select candidates for the November general election. While most of the town races are uncontested, the race for Town Council has five Republican candidates vying for four seats. These are important seats: town council members vote on a myriad of town issues, big and small.
Incumbent Kimberly Norton is seeking one of those seats.
I’ve gotten to know Kim since she was elected to the Town Council in 2021.
Kim is not a rubber-stamp Republican. Her goal is to make sure town government is responsive and accountable to residents and local businesses.
She has been a constant presence at Town Council meetings, attending all meetings in person. She is known for doing her homework and asking the uncomfortable questions when necessary. She puts a priority on fiscal concerns, recognizing that we pay for every new project or line item approved by the Town Council with our tax dollars.
On affordable housing, one of the biggest issues facing New Canaan, Kim played a key role in crafting the ordinance to establish the Affordable Housing Committee. She pushed to have five residents, rather than three, included on that committee, so residents would have a say in how the town meets the state’s affordable housing requirements.
On the issue of cell coverage, Kim challenged conventional thinking that large, unsightly towers were the only solution. She was among the first to call for re-establishing the Utilities Commission, which went dormant under former First Selectman Kevin Moynihan. She worked to reinstate the Commission to make sure that the town government addresses cell coverage gaps transparently, and that it considers small-cell and satellite solutions. Kim worked tirelessly with West School families and neighbors to stop a proposed cell tower behind the school playground.
Kim and her husband, Bill, have lived in New Canaan for nearly 20 years. They have raised their four children here and are current NCHS parents.
I’m grateful to Kim for her dedicated service to residents and New Canaan. I’m proud to support her re-election and know how important her contributions will be to the Town Council over the next four years.
Vanessa Lowry
