On November 10, 2026 the Ford government appointed Kitchener Ward 1 Councillor Scott Davey as the new Regional Chair for the Region of Waterloo.

At no point during the recent municipal election did Davey tell Ward 1 residents that he applied to be appointed by the province. Many voters have already publicly come forward and said they would have voted differently if they'd understood Scott's intentions.

There is strong concern regarding Scott’s decision to retain his seat and vote on Kitchener City Council while serving as an appointed Regional Chair. Holding both positions simultaneously undermines fair and effective local democracy for 3 key reasons:

Concentration of Power: Retaining a vote on Kitchener City Council while holding expanded “strong chair” powers at the regional level creates an inappropriate concentration of influence in local decision-making.

Regional Imbalance: Anchoring the powerful Regional Chair role inside Kitchener results in over-representation for one city, creating an unfair dynamic for neighbouring municipalities and especially our rural townships who do not have directly elected Regional Councillors. 

Loss of dedicated Kitchener Ward 1 Representation: Kitchener Ward 1 residents elected a councillor on October 26, 2026 to focus solely on their area’s priorities. Dividing that representative’s time and focus between local ward duties and leading the entire Region leaves Ward 1 without the dedicated representation they deserve.

We call on Scott Davey to resign from his position as Kitchener Ward 1 City Councillor, effective immediately. 

Add your voice today to let Scott know that we deserve better than split attention and constant conflicts of interest.