Cosimo Napoli running for Ward 6 Councillor

September 15, 2022 · 0 Comments

Napoli has lived in Bolton for 24 years and wants to help improve it

By Zachary Roman

Cosimo Napoli wants to be a part of making things better in Bolton.

Napoli has lived in Bolton for 24 years with his wife, and his three children grew up in Town.

He’s the co-owner of a family business in the security sector, and has been successfully selling and installing video surveillance and security systems for over 30 years.

Napoli said dealing with a large customer base has made him an excellent communicator, and since he is in the security business, he said he’s used to returning calls quickly and at all hours of the day.

He also said running a business has taught him how to prioritize funds, make responsible budgets, and be a good problem solver. He added since he has flexibility with his work hours, it will give him the time he needs to dedicate to being a councillor if elected.

Living in Bolton for so long and seeing it improve over the years inspired Napoli to run for the position of Ward 6 Councillor. He said he’d like to be a part of continuing to improve Bolton for its residents.

When Napoli first moved to Bolton from the city, he loved its small town feel and how everyone got to know everyone. He said even though the village has grown since, it has kept its small-town charm and many of the people who were there when he first moved in are still in Bolton today.

“The fact that we have beautiful lands, beautiful views… we’re close to the city but far enough that we can enjoy the fresh air,” said Napoli. “Caledon has a lot to offer.”

A concern of Napoli’s is the fact that he still sees truck traffic coming through Downtown Bolton even though it’s not permitted. Napoli wants to continue the revitalization of Downtown Bolton and said having it be safe for pedestrians and cyclists is critical. He said it couldn’t hurt to advocate for a bit more police presence in the area, though Napoli commended police for the work they’re doing already.

Bolton being split into two wards is something Napoli is happy about, as he said it gives Bolton a chance to have more representation at the Council table. However, Napoli emphasized the importance of Caledon’s next Mayor and Council working together as one and considering Caledon as a whole in everything they do.

“That’s the only way things will improve, it’s not an individual effort here, it’s a group effort,” said Napoli, who has been campaigning for weeks already.

He said he’s already made one pass knocking on every single door in Ward 6, with the exception of a couple apartments he hasn’t been able to hit yet. He said he’s really enjoyed some of the conversations he’s had with people, and said some have lasted for thirty minutes to an hour.

Napoli said face-to-face is the best way to communicate with people and that it’s helped him learn a lot about what Ward 6 residents want to see from the next term of council.

One of residents’ main points of interest is seeing Downtown Bolton continue to be revitalized, said Napoli, and he said he agrees. Napoli said increasing the walkability of downtown will help businesses succeed, as well as extended business hours. He added it’s important for Council to continue to work with those already working to improve Downtown Bolton, the Downtown Bolton Business Improvement Area and Downtown Bolton Revitalization Task Force.

With respect to the Town of Caledon’s finances, Napoli said he thinks things could be prioritized a little better.

He said the Town has spent too much money on consultants at times, mentioning Council’s decision earlier this year to hire consultants to continue building the business case for a GO station in Bolton — he said since it’s so far in the future, he doesn’t think it made sense to spend so much money on it now.

Napoli explained he doesn’t want to step on any toes and he realizes Caledon’s current Council made that decision with good intentions.

Napoli describes himself as a very approachable and down-to-earth person. “If somebody has a concern, I’m the type of person to follow through on that concern,” said Napoli. “I’ve had to be that way in my business; I’m not going to have a customer call me and have a concern and me not deal with that concern.”

Transparency and accountability are important to Napoli, and he said if elected he’d be working towards getting more constituents involved in Caledon’s municipal politics.

He said low voter turnout in past elections is proof that more can be done to get residents involved.

Housing is another issue that’s important in Caledon, and Napoli noted the need to consider different kinds of buyers.

“When considering housing options, I think we need to consider the elderly as well as the first-time buyers,” said Napoli. “Right now, it’s very difficult for young people to get into the market.”

Condensed housing could be a solution, said Napoli, but he said it needs to be spread out and not all in one area.

Napoli said, if elected, he’d like to work towards cutting some of the red tape for Caledon residents looking to do things like make renovations to their home. While he said having the right rules in place is important in terms of developers, sometimes the red tape can be too much for the average resident who’s just looking to make a small change to their property.

Napoli also said he was concerned that the Town imposed new restrictions on fireworks, something he said is a fun tradition and he doesn’t see why they were banned.

Taxes should not be increased on small businesses in Caledon, said Napoli, as they’re working hard to survive. He said instead, higher taxes should be imposed on big companies like Amazon and Canadian Tire who are doing well for themselves, as this could increase the commercial tax base in Town and take some weight off of residents’ shoulders.