Planning excursion could be valuable to city, voters
Posted by nicolesharlene on 2010/01/28
www.intelligencer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2272296
Posted on Jan. 22, 2010
Belleville’s Blueprint is up for review. Belleville’s city council
met on Thursday and Friday, to review their accomplishments
and matter of unfinished business.
Mayor Neil Ellis promised the meetings would address
maintaining and improving the city’s infrastructure.
Among the topics listed for discussion, new fire and police
department buildings.
The present council has started and completed most of their
goals with federal and provincial funding. Such as water
main extensions, building a bridge over the Moria River,
hiring doctors and upgrading pumping stations.
In May 2009, Luc Bégin, partner with Dillon Consulting,
informed the city council they should invest approximately
$24 million on maintenance a year. It currently spends
almost $800,000.
Why should I care?
This story is important because it tells us the Belleville
council is holding meetings to decide whether or not they
are leading the City of Belleville in the direction they initially
intended.
We vote for government officials based on the trust they
will do what they promise once they are voted into office.
The city council’s decision to improve its infrastructure
affects everyone who lives, works or goes to school in
Belleville. As a voter and taxpayer, I care about the
quality of our roads, the quality of our drinking water,
and the quality of the buildings I shop in.
I agree with the author’s main point in his editorial.
The city needs a better plan to deal with its infrastructure.
It’s unacceptable the city council isn’t investing enough of
taxpayer’s money in maintaining and improving the city’s
foundation. Government officials wait until roads and sewer
systems break down before fixing them. They need to act
quicker instead of procrastinating.
The success of future generations depends on good schools,
strong power grids and stable communities.
Our government leaders are responsible for providing
services that support economic growth. When the mayor
invests in our infrastructure he increases the productivity
of labour and capital thereby eliminating the costs of
production and raising profitability, production, incomes
and employment. Everyone wins, even mayor Ellis because
he will be popular with the public.
I think mayor Ellis needs to commit more money to fixing
up the roads in Belleville, especially the heavy traffic
areas. It’s unsafe to drive over potholes and cracks in
the roads.
I think the idea to build new police and fire department
buildings it’s a great for two reasons; the old ones are small
and ancient and two it will create more local construction
jobs.
While I’m on the topic of job creation, the doctor recruitment
program was an excellent idea. There are a lot of Belleville
residents who visit the hospital’s emergency room weekly
because they don’t have a family doctor. I hope more medical
school graduates decide to practice family medicine in
Belleville upon completion of their studies.
This article left me with some unanswered questions.
Who is going to pay for all of the proposed improvements?
Does Mayor Ellis think he will receive more funding for his
strategic planning from the federal and provincial governments?
I hope Belleville’s city council proves their critics wrong and
uses their time to make wise decisions about the city’s future.
