Patch Candidate Profile: Kimberly Norton For New Canaan Town Council

NEW CANAAN, CT — Election Day on Nov. 4 is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot.

Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing their towns.

Candidate's Name:

Kimberly Norton

What office are you seeking?

Town Council

What town do you live in?

New Canaan

Campaign Website

Party Affiliation:

Republican

Occupation:

Business owner, author, behavioral health specialist.

Family:

Yes. I have been married to Bill for 30 years. We have four children ranging in age from 17-26. They were all raised in New Canaan and attended New Canaan Public Schools. My two oldest sons graduated from college. My youngest son is a college freshman, and my daughter is a junior at New Canaan High School.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

Yes. I am currently an incumbent and serve on New Canaan's Town Council. I was elected in 2021 and was the highest vote getter for new candidates from both parties. I was appointed Co-Chair of Health and Human Services four years ago, and am an active member of the Bylaws & Ordinances Committee. I am also a member of the Land Use/Recreation/Conservation Committee.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running again because I want New Canaan to remain one of the best places in the country to live, work, raise a family, attend public school, and age in place. I am honored and grateful to represent New Canaanites on the Town Council since 2021! As a Council Member, I have attended every meeting on time and in person over the past four years and I am fully engaged in representing residents. My experience includes participating in four budget cycles, contributing to the development of multiple ordinances, evaluating town property transactions, and supporting a range of municipal projects - including public-private partnership agreements.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the Board of Education's proposal to build a new elementary school (North School), and renovate the three existing elementary schools and Saxe Middle School to the cost of 300-350 million dollars. While the Town Council has a positive and collaborative relationship with the Board of Education, I am not inclined to encumber the tax payer with enormous debt, resulting in a significant increase in taxes. I intend to scutinize the proposal, including demographic projections and current available classroom space.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am a Republican Endorsed incumbent Candidate and have the experience of serving four years on the Town Council. Out of the 9 candidates running, six candidates have not served on the Town Council so do not have the experience that I do. Comparing myself to two other incumbents running, I am the only incumbent who has never missed a Town Council meeting and always attend in person, not on Zoom.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

As the Town Council prepares to open the Town Charter, I am in the process of recruiting qualified and motivated candidates to undertake this important re-evaluation of our town government. I am particulary focused on Freedom of Information Training for all members so we do not elicit any FOIA complaints that occurred for two members in 2015, costing the town money in legal fees. In addition, I am keenly focused on supporting New Canaan's autonomy and independence when it comes to local zoning. As the only Republican candidate that lives in town, I am keenly focused on limiting transit oriented development, and limiting density in our downtown. The Town Council review of the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) elicited several suggestions to our Planning and Zoning Board and I plan to attend upcoming P&Z meetings focused on rewriting our entire town zoning codes. Lastly, I am a proponet of enhancing services for seniors in town and have offered my support for New Canaan becoming an "Optimal Livable Community" so we can attract new senior residents to town. As a behavioral health expert, I am uniquely positioned to make important recommendations for this growing population in town.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Before my service on the Council, I successfully led the efforts to save the 1913 New Canaan Library, and revived the “Slow Down In Our Town” awareness project to address pedestrian safety, speeding and texting and driving. To safeguard our school children’s data privacy, I cofounded and was a primary advocate for Public Act 16-189: “An Act Concerning Student Data Privacy,” which was voted into law in 2016.

Our family moved to New Canaan from New York City 17 years ago. My husband Bill and I purchased a century-old house near downtown. Raising our four children in New Canaan has been wonderful and allowed us to become part of the fabric of our town.

Over the past 17 years my volunteerism includes my current role as the American Red Cross Liaison for the National Charity League, Canaan Parish. Our next Blood Drive will be on Election Day at St. Mark’s. As a Service League of Boys (SLOBs) member, I volunteered as the Rotary Club of New Canaan’s Liaison for the past 12 years, as each of my three sons went through New Canaan High School. Each year, we participated in Lobsterfest, assisting with event staffing through coordinated parent and son volunteer teams. At New Canaan High School, I was a BOE representative for two years, chaired social media, Freshman Orientation, Exam Snacks, and currently serve on the Grants Committee, as I have for the last 7 years. At Saxe, I was a class parent and Chaired Lost and Found. At the end of every semester, we bagged up left over items, had them washed at the NC Laundromat, and then donated all items to the Vietnam Veterans of America. At South School, I chaired the annual Social at Waveny House.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Two pieces of advice I got from my parents: Always help others, and work harder than anyone else.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I earned my doctorate in behavioral health from Fordham University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, located in Bronx, NY and was honored to receive a Presidential Scholarship during my studies. I received a Teaching Fellowship at Fordham and helped in multiple research labs. I have worked in large city hospitals, private hospitals, college counseling centers, state foster care agencies, alternative elementary schools, at the NYPD as a forensic psychologist, and as a private practitioner. In addition, I authored a book in 2018 that premiered as a best seller in its category on Amazon and I later narrated and produced an audiobook of the same title that is available on Audible.