John Gazzola

John Gazzola joined the City of Kitchener as Director of Finance in 1973, the first year of the new Waterloo Region two-tier government. In 1985, he was appointed City Treasurer and Commissioner of Finance, and by 1995, he was the city’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). John’s fiscal prudence paid dividends for the City of Kitchener. John will be remembered for his implementation of a capital debt policy, retention of the gas utility under city ownership, and financing models that allowed the “new” (1993) city hall to be paid for in three years, additions to the Auditorium’s rinks, creation of a downtown bus terminal, the establishment of a dedicated arts centre and eventual Centre in the Square, and the location of a permanent market space in the centre of the city. When city council disagreed with his advice in 2001, John left the city’s employ, ran for Kitchener Council, and won.

But apart from his role in saving Kitchener taxpayers millions of dollars over his tenure, John was also a fervent volunteer in minor hockey. He became Treasurer of the Kitchener Minor Hockey Association (KMHA), an elected position that he held for more than 30 years. In that time, John’s financial oversight of the association put it on a firm and stable path, and the KMHA organizational model became the standard for other sports associations. One of his goals was to keep amateur hockey financially feasible for all families. To that end, he was a leading force in opening a permanent minor hockey office in the late 1970s which eventually became home to permanent staff to coordinate the sport locally.

John Gazzola’s volunteerism extended to stints on Board of Directors for both Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital, as well as the Centre in the Square. As a city councillor, John often assumed the role of devil’s advocate at meetings to ensure that all perspectives on an issue were considered – and thoroughly debated. When he joined the city’s Cycling Committee, he immediately bought a bicycle (in his seventies) and became an avid cyclist (walking/cycling the talk). He was also instrumental in securing the funding for the Kingsdale Community Centre in an historically underserved area of Kitchener. Over his long career in city employment and politics, John Gazzola embodied and demonstrated integrity, dedication, and commitment. His legacy to Waterloo Region will be his continued administrative and political emphasis on fiscal responsibility, the importance of volunteering in and supporting one’s community, and his modeling of the values of hard work, debate, respect, equality, diversity, and sustainability.