Norm Costello
Candidate for Ward 9 councillor in the 2026 Barrie municipal election.
- 2 times on the record
- 0 times elected
Campaign contact
- Campaign website
- normancostello26@gmail.com
- 416-771-8872
Contact details as published by the candidate on the City's candidates list. We do not reproduce the home addresses the City also publishes.
In their own words
Verbatim, attributed, dated. Every passage below is copied exactly from an archived copy of its source — a campaign website, a news article, or the candidate's own social media post — and links to it. Nothing is paraphrased by this site and no for-or-against label is applied: read the words, follow the link. Passages from news coverage say whether they are the candidate quoted, the reporter's reported speech, or the reporter's characterisation.
Compiled in a research batch dated September 11, 2026, reviewed by hand before publication on September 11, 2026. Passages are capped at 60 words. Campaign pages are undated, so only the retrieval date is shown for them. A candidate with nothing located on an issue is listed as such, with the date their sources were checked; a race is shown only once every candidate in it has been checked. See methodology.
Snow clearing
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Snow plows can be attached with a device called snow gates. These gates allow the plow to control the windrow (the pile of snow dumped on your driveway) and eliminate you having to remove heavy snow from the bottom of your driveway.
Source: normcostello.ca, Home page, Platform section, under 'Snow windrows'. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
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“I would like to see a much improved snow removal program along with the installation of windrow plows added to our current snow plows,”
Source: As quoted in CompassNews, Ward 9 election race gains momentum, July 7, 2026 (paragraph 22). Read September 10, 2026. news
Show 3 more passages
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Costello said that if he wins, he will push for improvements to Barrie’s snow removal program.
Source: As reported by CompassNews, Ward 9 election race gains momentum, July 7, 2026 (paragraph 21). Read September 10, 2026. news reported
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Examples of the depleting quality of core city services is our snow removal. The city of Barrie receives the second highest amount of snow in Ontario, next to Sudbury, yet we manage to leave our city residents, especially our aging population, helpless after each and every snowfall.
Source: As quoted in barrietoday.com, Rising taxes, declining core services among top election issues, says Costello, August 26, 2026 (paragraph 7). Read September 11, 2026. news
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Windrow plows are available to us, the cost is minimal as the plows are already driving by.
Source: As quoted in barrietoday.com, Rising taxes, declining core services among top election issues, says Costello, August 26, 2026 (paragraph 8, third sentence). Read September 11, 2026. news
Transportation
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Analyze the needs and sizes of our transit buses and routes.
Source: normcostello.ca, Home page, Platform section, under 'Buses'. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
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Traffic flow and timing of the lights is a problem at many intersections in the city.
Source: normcostello.ca, Home page, Platform section, under 'Traffic lights'. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
Taxes
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Costello said residents tell him taxes are rising while core services such as snow removal and garbage collection decline, a trend he links partly to outsourcing.
Source: As reported by Frequency News, Barrie Ward 9: Former New Blue Party Official Costello raises communication gap, police budget in bid to unseat Morales, August 3, 2026 (paragraph 5). Read September 11, 2026. news reported
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He wants council to scrutinize why money is spent rather than approve annual increases, and to demand more from developers.
Source: As reported by Frequency News, Barrie Ward 9: Former New Blue Party Official Costello raises communication gap, police budget in bid to unseat Morales, August 3, 2026 (paragraph 5). Read September 11, 2026. news reported
Show 2 more passages
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We need to be more fiscally responsible at the municipal level.
Source: As quoted in barrietoday.com, Rising taxes, declining core services among top election issues, says Costello, August 26, 2026 (paragraph 4, second sentence). Read September 11, 2026. news
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Our rising taxes and declining core city services are at the forefront of our main issues, along with communication from city hall and in particular the councillor of Ward 9.
Source: As quoted in barrietoday.com, Rising taxes, declining core services among top election issues, says Costello, August 26, 2026 (paragraph 5). Read September 11, 2026. news
Encampments
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There is a gap in care for people with mental health and or drug abuse issues.
Source: normcostello.ca, Home page, Platform section, under 'Drug use, homelessness & mental health'. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
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He identified homelessness and drug use as the city’s biggest issue, saying it requires a coordinated plan across municipal, county, provincial and federal governments, and that police need stronger legal tools to remove people impaired by drugs from the street.
Source: As reported by Frequency News, Barrie Ward 9: Former New Blue Party Official Costello raises communication gap, police budget in bid to unseat Morales, August 3, 2026 (paragraph 6). Read September 11, 2026. news reported
Show 2 more passages
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‘Our homeless and out-of-control drug use in our city is a major issue. We need to get it addressed to get our city and beaches back,’ says Ward 9 candidate
Source: As quoted in barrietoday.com, Rising taxes, declining core services among top election issues, says Costello, August 26, 2026 (Feed summary (article page not archived)). Read September 11, 2026. news
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People in Ward 9 have told me they won't go downtown or to our beautiful waterfront because of this issue. The solution is not easy but we need to work hand-in-hand with the county, provincial and federal governments to come up with a strategy and a plan for long-term success.
Source: As quoted in barrietoday.com, Rising taxes, declining core services among top election issues, says Costello, August 26, 2026 (paragraph 11). Read September 11, 2026. news
Safety & policing
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Community policing would increase our level of trust in our police force. It would consist of smaller, more localized stations or hubs.
Source: normcostello.ca, Home page, Platform section, under 'Community policing'. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
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Asked whether he favours police funding over social services and libraries, he declined to choose, saying the answer lies in examining how money is actually spent.
Source: As reported by Frequency News, Barrie Ward 9: Former New Blue Party Official Costello raises communication gap, police budget in bid to unseat Morales, August 3, 2026 (paragraph 5). Read September 11, 2026. news reported
Infrastructure
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We need to address the poor conditions of our city streets.
Source: normcostello.ca, Home page, Platform section, under 'Poor condition of city streets'. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
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Ensuring Hewitt's Secondary Plan Development include the necessary road and utility upgrades before congestion becomes unmanageable.
Source: normcostello.ca, Home page, Platform section, under 'Infrastructure & accountability'. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
Speed cameras
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He also called Canada an “underpoliced society” and said traffic enforcement should replace speed bumps and bollards.
Source: As reported by Frequency News, Barrie Ward 9: Former New Blue Party Official Costello raises communication gap, police budget in bid to unseat Morales, August 3, 2026 (paragraph 5). Read September 11, 2026. news reported
General
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Our beaches need to be kept clean and accessible for
Source: normcostello.ca, Home page, Platform section, under 'Our beaches'. Page. The page is undated; retrieved and archived September 10, 2026. site
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“The major ones in Ward 9 are lack of communication from current council, speeding vehicles, homelessness and drug use.”
Source: As quoted in CompassNews, Ward 9 election race gains momentum, July 7, 2026 (paragraph 20). Read September 10, 2026. news
Show 4 more passages
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In a media release, Costello said his campaign platform will focus on fiscal accountability, infrastructure readiness and common-sense city services.
Source: As reported by CompassNews, Race begins for Barrie’s 2026 municipal election, May 4, 2026 (paragraph 10). Read September 10, 2026. news reported
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“The people in Ward 9 are frustrated with communication. They’ve been frustrated for a while.”
Source: As quoted in Frequency News, Barrie Ward 9: Former New Blue Party Official Costello raises communication gap, police budget in bid to unseat Morales, August 3, 2026 (paragraph 3). Read September 11, 2026. news
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Norman Costello says frustration with communication from city hall is the main reason he is running for councillor in Barrie’s Ward 9, the seat held by Sergio Morales since 2014.
Source: As reported by Frequency News, Barrie Ward 9: Former New Blue Party Official Costello raises communication gap, police budget in bid to unseat Morales, August 3, 2026 (paragraph 1). Read September 11, 2026. news reported
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“Our taxpayers are our bosses,”
Source: As quoted in Frequency News, Barrie Ward 9: Former New Blue Party Official Costello raises communication gap, police budget in bid to unseat Morales, August 3, 2026 (paragraph 4). Read September 11, 2026. news
Not yet checked for this race: social media posts.
Questionnaire
Every candidate receives the same questions, and answers are published verbatim, with a clear note where someone did not respond. See the questionnaire.
Electoral record
Ran, not elected Contesting now
| Year | Contest | Votes | Share | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ward 9 councillor | — | — | Contesting now |
| 2022 | Ward 9 councillor | 293 | 13.9% | Not elected |
Sources: City of Barrie certificates of election results. See all election results for the full documents.
In full
Each contest Norm Costello was part of, with the whole field, because a result only means something next to what it was up against.
2022: Ward 9 councillor
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sergio Morales Elected Incumbent | 1,427 | 67.8% |
| Norm Costello | 293 | 13.9% |
| William Rome | 251 | 11.9% |
| Adam Wilcox | 135 | 6.4% |
Expenses
What Norm Costello's disclosed spending went to, from the public record, reclassified into the same spending-type buckets on both sides — see council expenses and campaign finance for how every member and candidate compares.
Compliance & Legal Voter Outreach & Data Conference & Travel Meals & Appreciation Events & Sponsorships Advertising & Media Print & Communications Office & Administration Corporate (phone/tablet) Other / miscellaneous
Compiled from the public electoral record. If anything here is wrong, please tell us on the corrections page. Names are linked across elections only where we have confirmed by hand that the records refer to the same person; where we are unsure, they are kept separate.
Common questions
Who is Norm Costello?
Norm Costello is a candidate for Ward 9 councillor in the 2026 Barrie municipal election, and previously ran in Barrie in 2022.
What is Norm Costello running for in Barrie?
Ward 9 councillor, on the ballot in the 2026 Barrie municipal election. Election day is October 26, 2026; internet and telephone voting opens October 16. See everyone running in this race.
Is Norm Costello an incumbent?
No. Norm Costello does not currently hold the seat being contested. The sitting members are listed at incumbents.
Has Norm Costello run for office before?
Yes: on a Barrie municipal ballot in 2022. The full record, with votes and results for every race, is below.
How do I contact Norm Costello's campaign?
The campaign published a campaign website, an email address, a phone number on the City of Barrie's certified candidates list; they are shown under campaign contact above. This site does not reproduce home addresses.
Who can vote for Norm Costello?
Voters who live in Ward 9 under the 2026 boundaries. Not sure which ward you are in? Enter your address.