City Hosts Resident Town Hall on Mississauga’s Independence from the Region of Peel

*updated as of April 1, 2019, 1:45 p.m.

The City of Mississauga is hosting a resident Town Hall on the matter of independence from the Region of Peel. At today’s meeting, Mississauga City Council adopted a motion, approving in principle that Mississauga become independent from the Region of Peel, subsequent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s Regional Government Review.

Event Details:

What: 
Resident Town Hall

When:
Monday, April 8, 2019
7 to 9 p.m.

Where:
Mississauga Civic Centre – Council Chamber – 2^nd Floor
300 City Centre Dr.
Mississauga, ON
[MAP]

Who:
Members of Council
Residents
City staff

Format:
The resident Town Hall will feature a presentation by Mississauga’s City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer, Janice Baker on Mississauga’s position, followed by moderated questions and comments from audience members.

Residents will have the ability to provide feedback to Council and staff verbally, as well as through written submissions.

Residents are encouraged to read the corporate report.

Can’t Make the Session? Watch Online
Residents, along with members of the media, can also watch live streaming on Facebook, Twitter and mississauga.ca.

Background

In January 2019, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced that it had appointed two special advisors, Ken Seiling and Michael Fenn, to review regional government in Ontario.

The goal of the review is to help ensure these municipalities are working effectively and efficiently and can continue to provide the vital services that communities depend on.  The City will be submitting its official position for independence by the May 21, 2019 deadline, established by the Government of Ontario for public consultation. The outcome of the Regional Government Review is expected later this summer.

Mississauga City Council adopted a motion, approving in principle that Mississauga become independent from the Region of Peel as its preferred option, subsequent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s Regional Government Review. The motion goes on to add that the City of Brampton and the Town of Caledon are in different stages of growth and development, often resulting in member municipalities of the Region of Peel having different or competing priorities.

In the March 20 Corporate Report, staff’s recommendation for single-tier status is based on the following factors:

• Population– Mississauga has the population to warrant becoming an independent city similar to other large municipalities such as Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa.
• Stability– Mississauga is fiscally strong, has strong resident support and has the necessary capacity and experience to operate as an independent city.
• Municipal Service Delivery– A number of duplications, barriers and complexities in municipal service delivery could be eliminated if Mississauga became an independent city.
• Future City Building– As an independent city, Mississauga would have full autonomy to focus on city initiatives related to its future growth and development.
• Cost– The City estimates that Mississauga subsidizes both Brampton and Caledon resulting in Mississauga contributing as much as $85 million per year to the Region of Peel. For example, the City of Mississauga pays 60 per cent of the overall Property Tax Levy; however, only owns 29 per cent of regional roads. The Town of Caledon owns 32 per cent of regional roads and pays only 6 per cent of the levy, while the City of Brampton owns 39 per cent of regional roads and pays 34 per cent of the levy. (Source Deloitte LLP – Financial Implications of Transferring Regional Roads – 2017 Report to Regional Council).

Independence from the Region of Peel is something Mississauga has been advocating for over many years. As early as 1995, the City of Mississauga has advocated for a single-tier status. The City launched a similar campaign in the early 2000s that was supported unanimously by Council at the time.

For more information about Mississauga’s position on the Regional Government Review, visit mississauga.ca/regional-government-review.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is inviting online public consultation until May 21, 2019. Residents are encouraged to share their thoughts on regional government reform through this channel.

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