The Gerry Masterson Centre was packed on Wednesday evening as people gathered to hear from candidates in the upcoming election in the second candidates’ forum held by the Belleville Chamber of Commerce.
The night allowed candidates for school board trustee, councillor for ward two, and mayor of Belleville, to showcase their plans and platform to prospective voters. This was the second event held by the chamber of commerce, with the first event for ward 1 councillors and mayoral candidates taking place earlier this month at the Empire Theatre.
The night began with candidates for school board trustee each getting 3 minutes to introduce themselves and explain their platform, before moving on to speaking to the candidates for council.
Four candidates for council were there, with two seats up for grabs. Incumbent councillors Kathryn Brown and Paul Carr were joined by challengers Aaron Fagan and Stephen Scott. After a one and a half minute opening statement, the question segment began. The four were each asked a question and given 2 minutes to respond, followed by each other candidate having a minute for a rebuttal, before the first candidate was given a minute for a closing statement. The topics asked about included the handling of capital projects, ensuring Ward 2 issues are handled fairly by council, and ensuring equitable access to municipal services. After questions, each candidate was then given 2 minutes for a closing statement.
Belleville’s Ward 2 councillor candidates. From left to right: Kathryn Brown, Aaron Fagan, Paul Carr, and Stephen Scott. Photo: Alan-Michael Steele, Quinte News
Capping off the evening was the mayoral debate, with three of Belleville’s candidates for mayor attending. Incumbent mayor Neil Ellis was joined by Paul Fleming and Don Metgzer to answer questions before the audience. Kyle Wolven did not attend. Each candidate received 2 minutes for an opening statement, followed by the question and answer period. Each candidate was asked a question and given 2 minutes to answer, before the other candidates were given a minute for a rebuttal. The original candidate was then given another minute for a closing statement. The questions asked of council included how Ward 2 should grow, how to ensure fair representation for the ward, and the candidate’s opinions on the ALTO high speed rail project.
After the first section of questions, candidates also participated in a lightning round, where each was asked two questions and given a minute to answer each. No rebuttals were allowed in this phase. After that came closing statements, where each Candidate was given 3 minutes to make a final appeal to voters in the audience.
Neil Ellis said it was important to pick a mayor and council who would plan for the long term, rather than just until the end of their term.
“After 12 years as mayor, I have learned that successful leadership isn’t about one person. It’s about council, staff, residents, and our community working together. This is the approach I will continue to bring forward: experience, teamwork, responsibility, growth, and getting the job done for the people of Belleville,” said Ellis.
Paul Fleming said that while experience is important, he wants to bring fresh ideas and approaches to the table.
“You remember Kodak, you remember Jumbo Video, you remember Nortel. They all had experience. They all knew what they were doing. If you went there, they passed their audits. Everything did good. They could point to all the things that they had done, and then they stayed still, and the world moved around them,” said Fleming.
Don Metgzer was last to speak, and said that the city needs to refocus on balancing the budget.
“My main platform is to serve the community as best I can,” said Metgzer. “I’m not going to pull any punches. What I say is what I mean.”
Election day is October 26th.
Crowds packed the seating available in the Gerry Masterson Centre for the ward 2 candidates’ forum. Photo: Alan-Michael Steele, Quinte News
