Five questions with Kelly Henderson, Ward 1 candidate for Belleville council in the 2026 municipal election

Editor’s note: To help voters to be better informed, Quinteist will be asking the same five questions of all council candidates in Belleville, Quinte West and Prince Edward County in advance of the municipal election, which will be held on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. Questions were sent to all candidates on Sept. 10, 2026. We will publish their responses as we receive them. Below are the responses from Belleville Ward 1 candidate Kelly Henderson. You can view a roundup of all our Belleville municipal coverage and links to all completed profiles here.

1. Tell us a little bit about your professional background, including any prior municipal or other political participation, as well as about you, personally. What made you want to run for council?

I am an entrepreneur and business owner with a strong commitment to my community and the people who call it home. Before entering municipal politics, I worked as a realtor in the Quinte area for 25 years, giving me the opportunity to meet and work with people from all walks of life and to develop a deep understanding of our community.

I was first elected to council in 2014. After leaving council from 2022 to 2025, I was pleased to return to public service in 2025.

My interest in serving on council has always come from a desire to solve problems, address important issues and help make our community a better place to live, work and raise a family. I enjoy getting to know people, understanding their concerns and working toward practical solutions.

2. How would you describe your personal political ideology and/or affiliation?

In municipal politics, I believe it is essential to be bipartisan. Municipal government is fundamentally about the community and the residents who live here, not partisan politics.

I prefer to keep my personal political leanings separate from my municipal work. My responsibility is to represent and serve everyone in our community fairly and equally, regardless of their background, beliefs or political affiliation.

3. What are the three most common issues voters bringing up to you as you campaign?

1. The rise in unhoused individuals coming from other communities
2. Rising taxes
3. Property standards due to out-of-town property ownership(rental properties, rooming houses)

4. What three issues are most pressing/important to address locally in your opinion?

1. Finding collaborative ways to address our local unhoused population while finding a way to re-settle the non-local unhoused residents back in their home communities, with their families and support systems.
2. Developing strategies to aggressively deal with out-of-town property owners and their disrespect for our neighbourhoods by failing to maintain their properties.
3. I plan to continue to scrutinize and hold external agencies accountable for their expenditures and budgets so that we can make every reasonable effort to keep City taxes at a manageable level.

5. What do you feel sets you apart from other candidates?

I am someone who investigates thoroughly, asks the difficult questions, confronts controversial issues head-on and isn’t afraid to speak out when I believe it’s necessary. I value truth even when it is inconvenient, accountability over silence and have the courage to challenge ideas / decisions when they deserve to be questioned.