Mississauga Mayor, Bonnie Crombie, is pushing for a “Mississ-exit” from Peel Region, the area that makes up the three municipalities: Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon. These three municipalities work together to share the responsibilities of garbage collection, policing, water and sewers, and various social services.
In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Mayor Crombie claimed that the split would allow Mississauga to gain control over tax rates and decide its own priorities.
“To be honest with you, it’s about more than the cost savings,” she said. “It’s about controlling your own destiny.”
This is not the first time, however, that a political leader has pushed for this separation. In the early 2000s, former mayor Hazel McCallion, proposed separation and produced a study that claimed Mississauga taxpayers could save $31-million if they separated.
Mayor Crombie explained that the shared water and sewer systems could instead be run by a “utility board made up of representatives of the local municipalities” and Peel Regional Police could remain as is: governed by the police services board.
Although many political leaders are skeptical of the split, former Waterloo Region chairman, Ken Seiling, admits the work is still in the “listening phase.”
Once more details about the separation are worked through, they will be revealed to the public.
