Belleville councillor Ryan Williams resigns from city council

Belleville Coun. Ryan Williams. Photo Courtesy of Ryan William’s official Twitter

By Charlotte Oduol

BELLEVILLE – Belleville city Coun. Ryan Williams has submitted his resignation from council effective immediately.

Williams is the Conservative candidate in the Bay of Quinte riding in the next federal election.

In a news release, Williams says he believes that there will be a federal election before the summer and he wants to prepare for it.  

William said he decided to resign his council seat instead of  taking a leave of absence as he strongly believes “having this seat filled now instead of taking a leave of absence, no matter how long, is in the best interests of the citizens of Belleville for Belleville council moving forward.”

Williams has served on the council since October 2018. In December 2020 he won the vote to become the Conservative candidate for the Bay of Quinte, in the next federal election. 

“We would like to thank Ryan ‘for his contributions as a city councillor and wish him the very best with his future endeavors,” said Mayor Mitch Panciuk in a news release from the city.

“It was not an easy decision, but it is the right one for me: for the city, and for the Bay of Quinte region,” Williams said in his release.

Williams also said he hoped that council would follow the same path it did when Tyler Allsop was appointed to council earlier this year. After much debate in the community and around the council table, Allsop was appointed because he had finished in seventh place in the Ward One municipal election in 2018. The top six finishers were elected to council. Traditionally, the next place finisher has been appointed to council when a seat becomes vacant. If that tradition were to be followed again, Carol Feeney, who finished eighth, would become councillor if she were interested. 

Williams says this decision allows him to  focus and direct all his energy into his campaign in being the next Member of Parliament for the Bay of Quinte.

“I remain committed to securing; your future; not only for the city of Belleville but for all that call the Bay of Quinte region home.”