Sean Kelly is a councillor of the City of Belleville for Ward 1, first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
- Elected to council in the 2018 municipal election
- Re-elected to council in the City of Belleville in the 2022 municipal election
- Ran as the candidate for the Liberal Party of Ontario in the 2024 Bay of Quinte byelection
2020 – Voting against the appointment of Tyler Allsopp to fill the vacant council seat of late Councillor Pat Culhane
Belleville has traditionally filled seat vacancies by appointing the candidate with most votes who did not win election.
A motion to appoint Tyler Allsopp, who had come 7th in previous election, was defeated 4-4, with Councillor Sean Kelly, along with colleagues Councillor Bill Sandison, Councillor Kelly McCaw, and Mayor Mitch Panciuk, voting against appointing Tyler Allsopp to fill the empty council seat, while Councillor Chris Malette, Councillor Ryan Williams, Councillor Garnet Thompson, and Councillor Paul Carr voted for.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk created an adhoc committee to appoint a member of the public, and their report recommended Jennifer McTavish. After receiving feedback from the public, Sean Kelly changed his stance, saying maybe he got it wrong and voted to reject the committee’s recommendation:
I’ve received lots of emails, phone calls, just a lot of conversation with the residents. It’s their seat and I respect the voters’ opinion. I was hoping for more diversity and more inclusion in our city for everyone and as the Inclusion Committee Chair, I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me in the next two years.
Councillor Sean Kelly
Council later voted again to appoint Tyler Allsopp to the seat and it passed 7-1.
2022 – First National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Caribbean Festival
Led the Belleville’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee to mark Belleville’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and further collaborated with new international Loyalist College students to celebrate the city’s first Diwali Festival.
Worked with the Caribbean community to host Belleville’s first Caribbean Festival.
Incident live on air
On February 20, 2024 there was an apparent altercation live on air on Mix 97 between between Kelly and host Lorne Brooker, who have worked together since at least 2000.
When asked about it by InQuinte, Kelly said the matter “was cleared up 20 minutes later” adding the colleagues remain friends and they have “moved on.”
There is nothing to that
The situation was with a colleague in the workplace where sometimes people have disagreements, especially in our business.
There is nothing there. I wouldn’t be in the position where I am now if that was a liability. I have worked hard for the people as a councillor and school board trustee. That incident isn’t reflective of who I am. We all make mistakes. In my particular situation, it was caught on air.
I can tell you the relationship with the individual that was connected to it – there is no issue. We talk every morning and share stories. We have moved on. It’s not personal.
Sean Kelly to InQuinte
I apologized, you apologized to me and we move forward.
Sean Kelly to Lorne Brooker on the Lorne Brooker Show
2024 Operating Budget and The Bridge Health Hub
Kelly did not attend the 2024 Operating Budget council meetings as he was on vacation at the time. The meetings decided property tax increases and the funding of the planned Bridge Health Hub project.
