Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis delivered his annual State of the City speech at the Belleville Chamber of Commerce’s breakfast at the Ramada Inn on Wednesday.
In his speech, the mayor highlighted a number of initiatives being undertaken by the city including results of its Doctor Recruitment Program and upgrades at 1 Alhambra Square.
Ellis said the city has recruited 14 doctors in just over two-and-a-half years, with a plan to have six more doctors recruited before the end of council’s term.
He says the city has spent over $9 million in doctor recruitment.
Regarding the building on Alhambra, Ellis says the hope is to have the renovations on the building be finished by the end of the year.
Speaking on the issues regarding doctor recruitment and homelessness, Ellis reiterated that while the city is doing what it can, it remains a provincial issue.
“It’s time to phone our MPP. It’s time to phone the province, the premier, and say, you know, this is downloaded to us,” Ellis said during his speech.
“These are the calls that I’m dealing with. Probably 40% of my time is spent on housing and doctor recruitment, and it’s not even our issue.”
The city’s capital budget and operating budget were also showcased, with the mayor emphasizing the city’s 10-year capital plan.
Ellis also spoke on a number of housing projects taking place in the city including affordable housing at the site of Queen Mary School and the redevelopment of the old fairgrounds that would include a new YMCA Centre for Life.
The new deal with Habitat for Humanity on redevelopment of the old Belleville Police Station to create affordable housing was also acknowledged.
