Hanover Deputy Mayor Selwyn Hicks has been elected Grey County’s 2021 Warden.
Hicks defeated incumbent Warden Paul McQueen — the Mayor of Grey Highlands — in a vote among county councillors at a meeting on Tuesday afternoon. He will serve his second one-year term as chair of county council, after holding the position in 2019.
In an address following the confirmation of results, Hicks identified affordable housing as the top issue “requiring Grey County’s attention.”
He said as a member of the Hanover Owen Sound Task Force and the Affordable Housing Task Force, he has been moved deeply by data that shows how challenging day-to-day life is for far too many in the community.
“The last year has been especially difficult for our poor and marginalized citizens. We know there are people in Grey County who spend up to 80 per cent of their income on rent,” Hicks explained. “These are people who deserve to live with dignity. They shouldn’t have to choose between heating their homes and buying groceries.”
Hicks added over the next few weeks he will ask staff to schedule one-on-one meetings with every county councillor.
The warden serves a one-year term and is elected by county council members annually. In addition to chairing meetings, the warden fulfills a public post as the head of county council similar to a mayor in municipalities.
Southgate Deputy Mayor Brian Milne and Meaford Mayor Barb Clumpus nominated Hicks.
