Mississauga needs to leave Peel and control its own destiny, mayor says

It’s an old issue, but Mayor Bonnie Crombie hopes the Ontario government will give new consideration to letting Mississauga cut political ties with Peel Region and forge ahead on its own.

In an Instagram interview this week with insauga.com publisher Khaled Iwamura, Crombie said severing ties with Peel Region is at the top of her priority list with the next provincial election less than three months away.

“That is still my number one ask,” Crombie said. “I like to call it controlling our own destiny…it’s time for us to go our own way. I think we all saw that acutely during the pandemic when different rules would’ve applied to Mississauga if we were our own city with our own public medical officer of health.”

Ultimately, the decision to allow Mississauga to become a single-tier municipality rests in the hands of the provincial government, which as recently as 2019 decided to keep the current system in place.

Mayor Bonnie Crombie continues to press the Ontario government to let Mississauga become a single-tier municipality.

Crombie said she raises the issue constantly with the Ontario premier and cabinet ministers.

“I don’t miss an opportunity to speak about that,” she said, adding Mississauga does not get a fair shake as part of Peel regional government. “We fund 60 per cent of the costs at the Region and have 50 per cent of the vote. There’s a huge inequity there. We’re transferring money each year for policing for Brampton, for planning, for roads in addition to funding 60 per cent of the costs, so there’s a huge inequity for Mississauga.

“Besides, I want to make decisions for my city at one table, not at two different (council tables),” continued Crombie. “Think about the duplication that exists. We go from a City council meeting on Wednesday to a Regional council meeting on Thursday and we sit down with a different group of people and discuss the same issues. That should happen at one table…We should make all the informed decisions with one group at one meeting, not at two.”

In an interview a month ago with insauga.com, Premier Doug Ford suggested he’s willing to listen to Mississauga municipal politicians who want their city to break away from Peel Region partners Brampton and Caledon.

“I look forward to sitting down with all of Peel and discuss those issues, sit down with Mayor Crombie and see where the benefits lie, because it affects everyone,” said Ford. “It affects Caledon, it’ll affect Brampton and Mississauga. But I’m always open to the ideas that they bring forward.”

The idea to separate from Peel is a long-standing one for Mississauga, with the plan originating nearly three decades ago during Hazel McCallion’s tenure as mayor.

In more recent years, Crombie has grabbed the torch, pressing Ontario’s Premier to allow such a separation of regional government to take place.

Mississauga has long believed that operating as a single-tiered municipality would give it financial benefits and greater rewards. Essentially, Mississauga politicians believe they pay more into Peel than they get in return via the services received.

Historically, Brampton and Caledon have argued to keep regional government intact, believing a separation would be a financial disaster and cause major disruptions to joint services.