Selwyn Hicks elected 2022 Grey County Warden

Grey County Councillor Selwyn Hicks is returning to the Warden’s chair in 2021. Warden Hicks, who served previously as Warden in 2021 and 2019, was elected by County Council at the annual inaugural meeting on December 7. Christine Robinson, Councillor for West Grey, also ran for the position. The election resulted in a tie vote of nine to nine. The County’s process for resolving a tie vote in an election is to pull a name from a hat. Councillor Hicks was successful.

In his inaugural address, Warden Hicks addressed the ongoing opioid crisis facing our community.  He challenged Council to take up a leadership role in response. “It is my hope that approximately 355 days from now I will be able to report success on addressing mental health and addiction at a level equal to our achievements this year on affordable housing,” stated Warden Hicks. In 2021 he challenged Council to make a bold move to address the affordable housing shortage. Council responded by supporting a 1% annual increase to the levy to establish an Affordable Housing Fund.

Warden Hicks also noted this will be the Council’s final year of the term.

“This is our legacy year. Together County Council, we are going to knuckle down and finish our term on a high note. I want us to be remembered not for what we faced, but for our relentless commitment to achieve results for the people Grey County despite what we have faced.”

Warden Hicks is also the Deputy Mayor of the Town of Hanover. He practices law from his office in Hanover with his wife of 25 years, Barbara Hicks. They have four children, Selwyn IV, Rylee, Connor and Chloe. Warden Hicks was born in Guyana in South America and moved to Toronto when he was nine. Selwyn and Barbara moved to Hanover in 2003 and he entered politics in 2006, serving as a Hanover councillor from 2006-2014 and as deputy mayor from 2015-present.

The election of the Warden happens each December at the inaugural session.

Warden Hicks was nominated for the Warden’s position by Grey County councillors Barb Clumpus and Aakash Desai.

Distinguished guests, former Wardens, fellow County Councillors, virtual participants, family, friends, staff and members of the media.  I am truly humbled to be in this position again and to have the confidence of my colleagues.  I promise to continue the level of work and enthusiasm you have come to expect from me as your Warden.  Last year, my wife Barbara observed the Warden election process from the parking lot as we were in a lockdown.  Today, she is here in person and so I will start off by saying thank you to my wife Barbara, our kids and all the other spouses, partners and families who share their elected family member with the public.  It has been a unique and challenging year.  Many in the community are fatigued.  Sometimes, that expression of fatigue and frustration is expressed to public servants in a manner that can be challenging.  This can, and does, have an impact on us personally and on our families.  I know that every elected representative around this horseshoe cares deeply about our community.  I also know that your sacrifice is not always acknowledged.  Moreover, I know that the sacrifice of partners and family members is rarely thought about.  Once again, thank you.   

Next, I extend gratitude to Councillors Aakash Desai and Barb Clumpus for nominating me.  I am humbled by your kind words and vote of confidence.

In my closing remarks for 2021, I reflected on our accomplishments and bold decision-making in the midst of adversity.  I called on you to make a bold move to address affordable housing.  You took up that challenge and responded with establishment of the Affordable Housing Fund and implementation of an annual 1% levy for affordable housing.  In the last year alone, just over $1.1 million was dedicated to affordable housing as a result of those two initiatives. Of course, we are doing much more to address affordable housing, and, the problem will not be resolved overnight.  However, we demonstrated that:  we get it, we care, and we’re prepared to act.

With the above said, I am now asking this Council to direct its attention and act boldly on another issue that requires urgent response.  I’m talking about mental health and addictions.  A few months ago, our Council entertained a delegation in which we were issued a ‘call-to-action’.  That passionate call-to-action came from community service professionals and, most important, people with lived experience.  Councillor Mackey – you and I served together on the Grey/Bruce drug strategy for four years.  You continued for a further three years.  If you’re willing, and if the members of County Council are supportive – I would like to ask you to take-up a leadership role in Grey County’s response to the call-to-action on mental health and addiction.  Because this is an election year and our time is short, we will need to move quickly to achieve something meaningful in this term of council.  It is my hope that approximately 355 days from now I will be able to report success on addressing mental health and addiction at a level equal to our achievement this year on affordable housing.

I will not be scheduling one-on-one meetings with members of council this year.  Instead, I will maintain an open-door policy where you can come to me with any concerns or ideas.  If circumstances change and it is appropriate, I will visit staff in the field to touch base and extend gratitude for the work they did to achieve amazing results in unprecedented circumstances.  I will also schedule an update meeting with every lower-tier council in Grey County.  That has not yet happened in this term of council for various reasons. 

This is our legacy year.  Together County Council, we are going to knuckle down and finish our term on a high note.  I want us to be remembered, not for what we faced, but for our relentless commitment to achieve results for the people of Grey County despite what we faced. 

In has become a bit of a tradition for me to end my inaugural speeches with words from songs.  Today will be no different.  In the past, I quoted words from Rush and Led Zeppelin.  Today I leave you with words from a 1969 song by The Hollies.  It goes – “So on we go – His welfare is my concern – No burden is he to bear – We’ll get there.  For I know – He would not encumber me - He Ain’t Heavy, He’s my Brother”.

Thank you for giving me this honour to serve as Warden for one more year and thank you for listening to me this morning.