By Ryan Rumboldt Posted November 17, 2022 at 11:38 am Peel region photo They say separation is hard to come by, but that’s what could be in store for the Region of Peel as the province plans to remove “red tape” at the municipal level and give some mayors more power. Legislation tabled by the Ontario PC party on Wednesday (Nov. 16) aims to reduce “municipal overlap” in several two-tier municipalities, including the Region of Peel, and expand so-called “strong mayor” powers beyond Toronto and Ottawa. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown says the end result of these changes could mean breaking up the Peel area. Brown said he is in favor of the legislation, which he believes will “help address development challenges and support the construction of the homes Brampton residents so desperately need.” Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, who has been outspoken about her desire for the city to split with the District, also applauded the legislation, saying it was time for Mississauga to “earn its independence.” “I am confident that this process will create a path to independence for Mississauga and lead to greater fairness for taxpayers,” she said. If approved, the new rules could also allow the province to appoint regional chairmen. The legislation included plans to reappoint Peel’s previous president, Nando Iannicca, who was officially nominated and voted unanimously at the District’s first council meeting on Thursday. Ontario NDP housing critic Jessica Bell called the proposed changes “an affront to democracy,” but Brown said he’s not concerned about the province having the power to appoint mayors at the municipal level because of “the possibility that there won’t be Peel region in the very near future’. “This is not a permanent position,” Brown told CP24 on Wednesday. “So I think (the province) was picking superintendents to help us through this interim period and you want someone with experience,” Brown said of Iannicca. “I think it’s fair and practical given what’s going on.” The province said the reappointment of incumbents “will provide continuity and stability at the regional level as facilitators consider how best to extend the strong powers of mayors to existing two-tier municipalities that are shovel-ready and committed to growth and downsizing of bureaucracy”. Steve Clark, minister of municipal affairs and housing, said provincially appointed facilitators will assess regional governments in Peel, Halton, Durham, Niagara and other jurisdictions on whether they can implement the government’s plans to address housing supply in Ontario. insauga editorial standards and advertising policies
