Belleville Councillor Ryan Williams has resigned from Belleville City Council.
He visited city Clerk Matt MacDonald Wednesday morning to hand in his resignation.
Williams has served on council since October 2018, but ran to become the Conservative Candidate for the Bay of Quinte riding for the next federal election. He won in a membership election in December (2020).
In his media release Williams said “I have been given the indication the Trudeau government has been planning and preparing for an election that could happen as early as this spring. I have decided to resign instead of taking a leave of absence with the best intentions of being the fairest to the people of Belleville who deserve to have a seat filled and the elected person actively working on bettering the city.”
He added, “I also strongly believe that it is the fairest and most democratic decision for the citizens of Belleville is to have my seat filled immediately, by the next in line, rather than taking a leave of absence. That next in line is Carol Feeney. “
Williams is the owner of Williams Hotels in Belleville, is married to his wife Allyson, and they have three children and live in Belleville.
HIS MEDIA RELEASE IS BELOW
Ryan Williams. (Photo: submitted)
In the past two and half years together, with the council, and the Mayor, Belleville City Council has worked to make the city stronger than we found it.
Together we have listened to constituents, we have changed the City for the better, and we have acted as a collective voice for the future.
It’s because of my love for this city, and this region that I ran for city council, and why I ran to be your Conservative Candidate for the Bay of Quinte. During my past two and half years on council, I have listened to many constituents who shared with me issues that couldn’t be solved on a municipal level. It was the feeling I had hearing about these issues and the effect they have on those living in this region that sparked my decision to run in the upcoming election. Should I be elected, I will then be able to work on finding solutions to some of these problems while still serving the people of Belleville along with those in Quinte West and Prince Edward County.
I have handed in my letter of resignation as Councillor for the City of Belleville effective immediately. This decision isn’t one I made lightly and wasn’t an easy choice to make, but I feel it is the right choice. I have been given the indication the Trudeau government has been planning and preparing for an election that could happen as early as this spring. I have decided to resign instead of taking a leave of absence with the best intentions of being the fairest to the people of Belleville who deserve to have a seat filled and the elected person actively working on bettering the city.
I also strongly believe that it is the fairest and most democratic decision for the citizens of Belleville is to have my seat filled immediately, by the next in line, rather than taking a leave of absence. That next in line is Carol Feeney. It is up to Council to decide what to do next, and for Ms. Feeney to decide to accept the vacant seat. Given the direction Council took with Councillor Allsopp, I am confident that my resignation will result in a strong woman, voted democratically next in line by the citizens of Belleville in 2018, to add her place to Belleville Council and allow council to have the proper female representation.
I ran in 2018 to Innovate Belleville. I wanted to introduce new ideas that would create growth, opportunities, and security. Determination and collaboration were needed for each & every step forward.
I am proud of the accomplishments on Council I championed with the support of my fellow councillors, Committee Members, and City staff, we were able to bring some exciting new ideas to life:
* – The creation of the EDDC and the creation of a Strategic Plan for economic and destination development for the City of Belleville.
* – The creation and implementation of an economic COVID19 recovery plan
* – The bolstering of resources for Belleville’s Economic and Strategic Initiatives department
* – The Pop-Ups on the Bay
* – The Pop-Ups of Belleville for the retail sector
* – Quintelicious
* – A new strategic plan and branding for Downtown Belleville
* – The plan to implement new voting methods for the next municipal election including telephone and online.
With all of that, this announcement is bittersweet for me, as I truly enjoyed my job on council, but I am so very excited to be able now to connect and share with those of the entire region. I have spent time in Quinte West and PEC the past few weeks and have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the constituents, hearing their stories, understanding their concerns and seeing sparks of hope as we spoke of securing the future.
I want to thank the Mayor and each member of Council and committee I served on for the time we shared working together to move the city forward. I am grateful for all the work done by city staff, in particular, Ms Karen Poste as we worked so closely on many initiatives and her team’s contributions to our city are invaluable. Lastly, I would be amiss if I didn’t thank each constituent for their faith in me, and the time you spent connecting with me, through email, phone calls and in person.
