Scott Davey has been named the new chair of Waterloo Regional council. The provincial government announced his appointment on Tuesday. Davey has represented Kitchener’s Ward 1 since 2010 and was re-elected for his fourth term as city councillor in the 2026 municipal election. For the last 14 years, Davey has also served as the chair of the Finance & Corporate Services Committee. The province announced earlier this year that regional chair would no longer be an elected position. Instead, candidates would have to apply and then be appointed to the role. They promised to reveal their picks following the municipal election. The new chairs will get “Strong Chair Powers,” similar to “Strong Mayor Powers,” and can pass bylaws with the support of only one-third of council. Waterloo Region is of one of the eight communities with a two-tier system. The others are York, Peel, Durham, Halton, Niagara, Muskoka and Simcoe County, which has a warden instead of a chair. These are the new appointees in those communities: Davey’s appointment marks the end of Karen Redman’s two-year run as regional chair. More to come.
