Ellis wants mayor’s job again

Ellis tells Quinte News that a lot of Belleville city councils have been somewhat dysfunctional with the exception of those that he led between 2006 and 2014.

He called current Mayor Mitch Panciuk’s leadership style as top-down.

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“When you look at this current council they seem to be moving forward now but there were a lot of bumps with at least three councillors being ejected from council (meetings) and many points of order.”

Ellis says a 2019 Integrity Commissioner’s report finding that Mayor Panciuk had breached council’s Code of Conduct by exerting undue pressure in the hiring of a city employee is an example of what he considers poor leadership.

Panciuk, who is running again to be mayor, immediately apologized after that Integrity Commissioner’s report was issued.

Ellis says he takes a different approach.
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“I look at (managing) in a more middle and up, and to include all of council in decisions and information and to rely on senior staff.”

Ellis said the current mayor showed bad judgement voting in favour of appointing a councillor to replace the late Pat Culhane instead of just choosing the next person in line from the last election.

Ellis said he would have voted to go to the results to appoint Tyler Allsopp immediately.

Discussing infrastructure, Ellis tells Quinte News the city’s wastewater plant needs an overhaul that could cost nearly $100 million and that waterfront development needs a boost because Myers Pier is “ready to fall into the water”, a job he expects would cost north of $30 million.

He says he wants to lead a council that works to get the projects done with little or no effect on local ratepayers.

Meanwhile another big issue for Ellis is an ongoing one.