Mitch Panciuk 2022 election priorities

Panciuk’s website identifies 4 key platform areas:

• “Growth pays for growth: keeping tax increases low”: emphasizes his desire to draw “investment and employers” to Belleville to help fund infrastructure, indicating that he has successfully utilized this strategy in the past 4 years as incumbent 
• “Keep building new housing”: highlights existing Community Improvement Plan, alleges “We’re the first Council in over 20 years to donate land for affordable housing” and states that he will continue to do so 
• “Build more great spaces to live, work & play”: reviews parks development project that have begun under his tenure 
• “Leave no one behind”: shares a plan to host a “Social Services Summit” to focus on supporting “vulnerable communities”; specifically referencing homelessness and mental health needs

He has announced plans to bring a new $35 to $40 million performing arts centre to the city. The plan remains in the preliminary stages and awaits approval on a feasibility study.

Increasing bylaw enforcement

Another question to candidates asked how they would guide by-law officers to support businesses.

Panciuk said they needed to step up by-law enforcement. He said they needed to step up by-law enforcement. In residential neighbourhoods they have gone from a house supporting a single family of five, to upwards of 10 unrelated people living in the same building, and says that is a problem that needs to be dealt with.  Part of the problem resides in provincial law, but also that the city needs better by-law enforcement as well.

Quinte News

Increasing police services

One of the last questions asked candidates about rising crime rates in the city.

Panciuk said that while crime was on the rise, the city was still doing great compared to crime elsewhere and that Belleville remains a very safe place. The incumbent mayor went on to say that he did support hiring more officers and expanding frontline resources for police.