Poll on Peel dissolution deleted by Mississauga councillor after results backfire

A Mississauga city councillor has deleted an online poll asking residents about the Region of Peel dissolution after it didn’t show favourable results.

The now-deleted poll was posted by Mississauga Ward 7 Coun. Dipika Damerla on X (formerly Twitter) and asked “should the provincial government make a decision on Peel dissolution based on a phantom report no one has seen?”

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown has raised the alarm about an unprecedented tax increase he says will be caused by the split, saying “updated data” from Deloitte shows the break-up would lead to $1.31 billion in operating costs and a one-time tax increase of 38 per cent.

Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles has said the increase is closer to 34 per cent.

But Damerla’s straw poll on the split “backfired” according to Brampton Coun. Rowena Santos, as a screenshot of the now-removed post shows 82 per cent of voters want to see dissolution become a reality.

The screen grab of the deleted poll shared by Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Coun. Rowena Santos showed there were at least 218 votes before the final results of the poll were scrubbed from the web by Damerla.

“Although a strange way to position a question, this unexpected poll result has possibly backfired from its originally intended point,” Santos posted on X.

Brown went one step further, saying in a post addressed to Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie that the results “clearly show Mississauga residents don’t want any part in your Peel dissolution train wreck.”

Crombie has challenged Brown to publicly back up his claims as speculation has surfaced that Premier Doug Ford is considering reversing course on the plan to dissolve the Region of Peel.

Crombie said Wednesday that the initial 2019 consultant’s report produced by Canadian firm Deloitte was “rightly dismissed by Peel council because of dubious methodology, false and, frankly, outrageous assumptions.”

Brown and a union representing members of Peel Paramedics Services have also raised concerns over a possible “mass exodus” of first responders from Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon due to job insecurity related to the split.

The move to split the Region came under the Hazel McCallion Act, named after the late Mississauga mayor who championed that city striking out on its own.

Ford is reportedly expected to give an update on the Region of Peel dissolution by the end of the week.

Although a strange way to position a question, this unexpected poll result has possibly backfired from its originally intended point… 🤷🏻‍♀️ Regardless, I respectfully echo the friendly advice from @patrickbrownont. @OPSEU277 @DaveWakely look forward to the delegation tomorrow. https://t.co/OHBwWurH40

— Rowena Santos (@RoweSantos) December 7, 2023