Looking Back On Eight Years At City Hall

As Kevin Davis nears the end of his time as Brantford’s mayor, he is directing much of the credit for his years in office toward the people who stood beside him.

During remarks at a recent Brantford City Council meeting, Davis thanked his wife, Lisa, fellow councillors and City employees, repeatedly emphasizing that the work accomplished during his time as mayor was never the work of one person.

He began by acknowledging the demands that public life can place on family members.

Elected officials make the decision to step into public office, Davis noted, but their families also experience the impact of that decision.

“Lisa, through it all, had no complaints and certainly kept me very grounded with her advice and her support,” Davis said.

The acknowledgement set the tone for remarks that focused heavily on those who helped him throughout his eight years in the mayor’s chair.

“Whatever we do in life, whatever it is, very rarely do we do something on our own,” Davis said. “It’s always, always, always a team effort.”

Davis worked with two different councils during his time as mayor and said he valued the experience of working alongside members of both.

That did not mean council always agreed.

Davis acknowledged there were times when members strongly disagreed on issues, but said those differences are part of the democratic process.

Rather than focusing on specific votes or initiatives, he spoke about the relationships developed around the council table and throughout the community.

“What I will carry in my soul are the people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had,” Davis said. “It’s truly been a great honour to serve this city.”

One of those experiences came during a visit to W. Ross Macdonald School.

Davis recalled meeting a student who experienced the world primarily through touch.

Her teacher asked whether the student could feel Davis’s face, and he agreed.

While sitting with her, Davis realized he was wearing the mayoral chain of office and decided to let her explore the different pieces and symbols of the chain.

As they moved through it together, the student began to cry.

Davis said his first reaction was concern.

He asked the teacher whether he had upset her.

“She’s crying tears of happiness,” the teacher responded.

It was a moment Davis said stayed with him and illustrated how some of the most meaningful experiences in public office can happen unexpectedly.

“You’ll forget that one-hundredth ribbon cutting,” Davis said. “You’ll never forget something like that.”

Davis also spent part of his remarks recognizing municipal staff.

He said elected officials often receive public attention for City projects and decisions, but the work required to carry them out is done by employees throughout the organization.

“We’d like to sit here and take credit for all the things that we accomplished in our terms of council, but it’s really the staff that get it done,” Davis said.

He thanked senior management and City employees for their work and said Brantford has been fortunate to have strong public servants working on behalf of residents.

The meeting also included a few lighter moments as Davis received several keepsakes recognizing his time as mayor.

Among them was a chair commemorating his years presiding over council meetings and a Brantford Bulldogs hockey jersey.

Davis recalled receiving what he described as the first Bulldogs jersey when the agreement bringing the team to Brantford was signed.

He said that original jersey will eventually be donated to the local sports wall of fame as a piece of the city’s sporting history.

The newest jersey, he joked, means he will still have one to keep.

The gifts provided a physical reminder of his time at City Hall, but Davis’s remarks suggested his strongest memories will not be the items he takes with him.

“I’ll treasure our memories and what we accomplished together,” he told council.

As his final year in office continues, Davis appears intent on sharing the credit for those accomplishments with the family, councillors and City employees who were part of them.