Councillor Carr posts questions for MPP roundtable meeting

Councillor Paul Carr, B.A.
City of Belleville
[email protected]
613-847-0645 (C)

Special Council Meeting – Roundtable with local Members of Provincial Parliament

On Tuesday April 7, 2026 there will be a Special Council meeting with MPP Tyler Allsopp (Bay of Quinte) and MPP Ric Bresee (Hastings Lennox and Addington Tyendinaga). The following questions were submitted to the City Clerk and will be posed to our MPPs at the meeting:

1. Can you please provide written responses, in the next couple of weeks, to all resolutions and correspondence that were passed by Council and sent to your offices over the past few years? Please explain why no responses were provided at the time?
2. Housing Bills have been passed without meaningful opportunity for municipal consultation. This includes a short public consultation period (Environmental Registry) and Bills passing and given Royal Asset before the end of the consultation period. Will you both, as our MPP’s, ensure there is timely consultation on legislation and policy that has a municipal impact?
3. Health Care Connect has been described as a broken system by many where residents linger for years without being connected to primary care. We have all heard anecdotal stories of these experiences. Primary care is viewed as an important issue for residents. I do not see the Ontario government delivering any mass advertising (TV, radio, print, social media) regarding Health Care Connect. In reference to Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan, what is the government’s communication strategy to dispel this myth and encourage unattached residents to register with Health Care Connect?
4. City Council has been advised that Belleville residents registered with Health Care Connect is just over 1000, yet City Council is also advised that there are over 15000 Belleville residents that are not attached to primary care. Can you advise Council how many Belleville residents are not attached to primary care? Is funding available through the Primary Care Action Plan to ensure ALL residents will be connected to primary care by 2029?
5. Also, in reference to Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan, the Minister of Health has advised municipalities during a recent ROMA speech to not offer financial incentives to recruit primary care practitioners as Ontario attempts to connect everyone to primary care by 2029. Do you agree with this opinion and should the city cease recruitment efforts and focus messaging on ensuring residents are aware of the necessity to register with Health Care Connect?
6. The city has identified the North Riverfront Trail extension as an important connecting link, and particularly one that removes the obstacle of Hwy 401 for active transportation users. The City has conducted feasibility studies with a qualified engineering firm. Detailed design work is underway and a municipal budget has been set, with an application submitted for Government of Canada for funding assistance. Do you support the extension of this trail under Hwy 401 bridges at the Moira River to connect our community and will you assist the City with the necessary provincial approvals?
7. The City of Belleville, like all municipalities, continue to have residents struggling with homelessness. Municipal councils, including this one, seem to be the only level of government that continually discusses this issue. Despite the Ontario government’s Homelessness Prevention Program investments, the by-name list and point-in-time counts demonstrate that it is not addressing or preventing homelessness. What are you doing to advocate for additional resources to help your vulnerable citizens?
8. The City of Belleville, like all municipalities, continue to have residents struggle with mental illness and substance abuse. Municipal councils, including this one, seem to be the only level of government that continually discusses this issue. Current provincial investments are not meeting the need. What are you doing to advocate for additional resources to help your vulnerable citizens so that there are meaningful improvements in these areas? What type of results are you expecting?
9. Provincial funding under the Homelessness Prevention Program has remained at $6.1 Million for the past 3 years. Do you think this amount is enough to address this issue in Hastings County? If so, can you please explain that against the increased numbers of homelessness?
10. Discretionary Benefits are provided through the Provincial Ontario Works (OW) program for Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) clients and are intended for health and non-health related items, with the majority of the allocation spent on homelessness prevention. The province provides $10.00 per case per month and the allocation has not been increased for 30 plus years. Can you please explain why the Ontario government has remain allowed this allocation to remain unchanged despite the ever-increasing needs and associated costs with assisting our residents?
11. Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) funding for Housing Allowances, Capital Repair (Non-Profit Housing) and Capital Repair (Local Housing Corp) has been reduced in some areas, is being phased out and total funding ends in 2028. For example, Hastings County will need to consider the impact of the planned reductions on the Housing Allowance Program. It is an impact of $527,346.00 and supports individuals with affordable rent. What are you doing to ensure this funding continues and is increased to improve results in this area?
12. Do you agree with the current funding formula for Public Health or should the Ontario government be funding at a greater ratio, given that health care is a provincial responsibility? Please clarify your opinion.
13. The primary intent of recent Ontario housing legislation, particularly Bill 60 (Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025), Bill 17 (Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025), and Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022), is to accelerate the construction of new homes and infrastructure to meet the at one time provincial goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031. These bills aim to achieve this through reducing regulatory hurdles, streamlining planning and development approvals, and reducing fees. Municipalities have adopted these changes with applications being addressed within a 90 timeframe in the City of Belleville. Developers are sitting on approved land inventory while building slows, yet the housing crisis continues. What are you doing to advocate for building sector accountabilities?
14. In reference to Bill 60, Bill 17, Bill 23, Bill 108 and 109, the reduction in building fees has resulted in lost revenue for municipalities that support infrastructure for growth related projects. When the first couple of housing bills were passed, the Ontario government made a commitment to Big City Mayors that municipalities would be made whole on any building revenue shortfalls. According to the City’s Finance Department, between 2023 and 2025, there is a development revenue shortfall of $9,524,976. Factoring in two annual Building Faster Fund payments of $2,041,040.00, the City of Belleville has a development revenue shortfall of $7,483,936.00 This is money not available to invest in infrastructure for growth-related projects. What are you doing to advocate for the City that you represent to be made whole on this revenue as a direct result of provincial housing bills?

Regards,

[Signature]

Paul Carr, Councillor
City of Belleville – City Hall
169 Front Street
Belleville, Ontario K8N 2Y8