Planning Board candidate profile: Timothy Cusson

Timothy Cusson hopes to help young people and seniors stay in town, and shape Dartmouth’s future on the Planning Board.

The recycling company executive and Dartmouth resident since the age of five has been a Town Meeting member on and off in the past. 

“I just wanted to give back to the community and get involved,” Cusson said. “I love Dartmouth. I’ve grown up here, and I don’t have any plans of leaving Dartmouth. I want to be involved with how Dartmouth grows and changes.”

Cusson, a graduate of UMass Dartmouth, began his professional career in the recycling industry. He initially worked for Waste Management before developing his own business. He sold that business to recycling company Parallel Products and became Parallel’s vice president of business development 15 years ago.

A major priority for Cusson, if elected, is ensuring Dartmouth is an affordable place for both young people and seniors — two demographics Cusson said face affordability issues either starting their families in Dartmouth, or remaining in their lifelong homes.

In addition to his recycling career, Cusson has a real estate development background specializing in affordable housing. He had worked on several affordable housing projects in the past.

“There’s a big need for [affordable housing] in Dartmouth, and I’d like to see it done smartly,” Cusson said. “There’s a smart way to do affordable housing, and then there’s the wrong way to do affordable housing.”

Cusson said he also wants to focus on growing the town’s commercial and industrial sectors.

“We need to grow our tax base, and there’s correct ways to do that and wrong ways to do that,” Cusson said. “I want to learn more about how it happened, and shape future development.”

He also hopes to be involved with UMass Dartmouth’s renovation projects and working with the university.

“I think it’s great to have [Umass Dartmouth] in our community,” Cusson said. “I think they could be a great partner, and it looks like the town is moving that way to rekindle that partnership.”

In town, Cusson enjoys walking the trails around town, and visiting Round Hill Beach and Padanaram in the summers.