More Responses-Regional Council

kw4wrc@gmail.com

In all honesty, I haven't ever considered describing my "leadership style" before. When I think of the times I have demonstrated leadership, though, I would argue that I was most effective in having a vision, gaining consensus among collaborators, and then valuing the individual skills and talents to accomplish a shared objective. That sounds quite vague, no doubt, so I'll offer a couple of contextualizing situations. The first was directing a musical in 2018. Performers, musicians, choreographers, and technicians were all keen to help make the show a success, and to be quite honest, I became worried toward the end of the rehearsal process that some of the performers would have been willing to overwork themselves, and I needed to give them more time for themselves and to rest. At the same time, I was deeply proud of what we accomplished together on stage because of a shared commitment. I was very pleased to receive a kindly letter from performers who noted that they had felt valued throughout the process, and that they appreciated having the opportunity to make use of their talents and lean into their strengths.



A second circumstance would be a more independent one from my time in school libraries. Elementary school library staff are often "islands of one" in their schools, and this was indeed the case for myself. I adjusted policies to meet the needs of the students, removing limits, for example, on the number of books students were allowed to borrow, or allowing for extended borrowing periods, or even making fines for damaged items optional, and the type and amount of programs I would run throughout the week. This leadership style extended from values about who and what I believed the library was for, and relied on me making adjustments based on the power I was allotted and could exercise to the benefit of the students. By the time I left my work in libraries to return to school, I was running 15 clubs a week (we had 15 recesses, and I believed the library was valuable enough to and for students to use as frequently as possible, so I made it available at every recess). Book circulation was on the rise, the library was a more desirable place for students to visit, socialize, read, play, and learn, and students knew and were feeling that their skills and talents were valued and welcome to be shared in the library. Again, I found myself pleased with that accomplishment, and it came from a vision, adherence to values, and a willingness to collaborate with others (in this case, the students) to achieve.



The second question you ask necessarily requires application of the answer to the first. The Region obviously faces numerous problems, some more specific to the area than others. Cost of living rising faster than wages, the provincial government embroiled in numerous scandals, reducing funding for education, healthcare, and housing, removing environmental protections, and even attacking local democracy itself by appointing the Regional chair. The Federal government is spending more than ten times as much on weaponry and "national defense" as it does on social housing. There is also, more locally, the water management crisis, a lack of affordable housing, affordable housing units being lost much, much faster than they are being constructed, and an affordable housing waitlist more than 7,000 households long, and an affordability crisis looming for many.



The core value has to be central in addressing any of these, and that is "care for people and the land we share". In responding to any and all of this, to rely on a single person to dictatorially implement a plan is, I think, not a viable plan. If I say "build housing," I am not the one building the house, not an electrician, nor a plumber, architect, engineer, or construction worker. We again have to build consensus among community partners, service providers, and communities themselves about what "care for people and the land we share" means and how we address these issues collectively. If our vision is to see people with access to water, then we must resist all attempts to privatize its provision. If our vision is to see people housed, then we have to collectively find solutions. I can certainly propose that we more closely follow the proposals made in the Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, or that we invest more in active transportation and public transit, or that we preserve green spaces, farmland, and water protection areas, but that doesn't happen without cooperation. This is why I think the Region's core value of "care for people and the land we share" is so important. I think this has to be what council, staff, service providers, partners, and the community rally around and adhere to, and I think I can strongly encourage that, though it would be presumptuous to suggest I would inspire it. Nevertheless, I believe in taking a principled stance centred on this value.



Thanks again for your interest in the election and municipal politics.



Kevin





kim@kimhuxted.com



Thanks for your questions. Please see below



Question 1

How would you describe your leadership style?

I believe my leadership style has been shaped by the many years of training I have done over my working career. I am a firm leader with an emphasis on educating the participants. I eagerly encourage people to find their own solutions and try to help guide them towards being problem solvers. I am always open to hearing others' opinions and appreciate learning from the up-and-coming generation of leaders.





Question 2



2. What are the most important issues in the Waterloo Region and what would your plan be to deal with them?

We have so very many issues here locally as well as provincially so I will try to explain what I believe are the top 3 priorities for our Region right now.

Water. I think we are all aware of the hurtles we have to overcome in this region and I will support long term solutions rather than short term gains dictated by growth. I truly believe that growth has to respect our restraints.

Land. I really believe it is very important to provide food security for our Region by prevent further loss of farmland and greenspace.

Democracy and transparency. I feel that our democracy is being eroded by Provincial regulations and I would like to explore regaining our local decision-making processes that we have enjoyed up until recently. I will advocate for greater transparency and more public input.







Kim