Mississauga ready to be an Independent City

Today, Mississauga City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Shari Lichterman presented an update to Council about the City of Mississauga becoming an independent, single-tier municipality on January 1, 2025.

In June 2023, the provincial government passed Bill 112, Hazel McCallion Act (Peel Dissolution), 2023. This legislation dissolves Peel Region as a governing body and makes Mississauga an independent city.

“We’ve advocated for this change for years and are prepared to take on the challenge of becoming a single-tier, independent municipality. The City has proven its ability to be a world-class destination with strong financial management, exceptional leadership and extensive experience,” said Chris Fonseca, Acting Mayor and Ward 3 Councillor. “The shift towards independence will allow Council and the City to make meaningful decisions to address key issues unique to Mississauga such as housing, growth, transportation, infrastructure, climate change and financial management. We’re confident this change will lead to a better service delivery for residents and businesses. This is good news for Mississauga.”

At present, the City of Mississauga splits its property taxes. Of every dollar collected from property tax, around 36 per cent stays with the City, while almost half (45 per cent) goes to the Peel Region. This money is used to help pay for services such as police, housing supports, roads, water and wastewater treatment and waste management, among others. Under the current structure, Mississauga pays 60 per cent of the regional tax levy. Through independence, the majority of property tax revenues will now remain in Mississauga and the City will be able to make investments in its strategic priorities without interference.

“Moving to a single-tier government structure will provide residents and taxpayers with cost savings and more co-ordinated service delivery,” said Shari Lichterman, City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer. “We will have the ability to make decisions independently and that means we can do things like approving housing more quickly to reach our provincial housing targets and deliver improved programs and services that meet the direct needs of those in our Mississauga community.”

The City remains committed to providing exceptional customer service to residents and businesses and funding programs efficiently and effectively. Transferring regional services to the City will eliminate duplication of services and create efficiencies while providing the necessary support to front-line service areas. Residents and businesses will also have a single point of contact for all municipal services.

To get ready for independence, Mississauga has taken action to bring on the right people with the right experience to ensure the city is ready to take on regional services. This includes hiring Catherine Matheson as the Interim Commissioner of Health and Human Services and appointing Lori Kelly, former Director of Human Resources, as the new Director of Municipal Transition and Integration.

Lichterman added, “We’re ensuring Mississauga will have the right people in place for a seamless transition. This includes bringing on experts in fields like health and human services so that we’re ready to deliver these critical services on day one. Our focus remains on providing quality services with no disruption for residents and businesses. It also means welcoming the highly qualified Peel Region staff and their expertise to deliver the programs and services in these areas.”

Mississauga is working closely in collaboration with the Government of Ontario, the provincially-appointed Transition Board, Peel Region, Brampton and Caledon to ensure that all matters are handled fairly and equitably. The recommendations and decisions will be shared with the province for their final approval.

As the Transition Board makes decisions, more information will be shared with Council and residents in the upcoming weeks and months.

Watch the presentation made by Shari Lichterman, City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Mississauga.

For more information and updates about the City’s steps toward independence, visit mississauga.ca/ourcityourfuture.

Background

The Peel transition is a result of Bill 112, Hazel McCallion Act (Peel Dissolution), 2023, passed by the Government of Ontario. For more information on the Act, read the legislation. Completed milestones of the transition include:

• On May 18, 2023, the Government of Ontario introduced Bill 112 to dissolve Peel Region
• On June 8, 2023, Bill 112, the Hazel McCallion Act (Peel Dissolution), 2023, came into effect
• On July 5, 2023, the province announced the appointment of the Transition Board
• On October 5, 2023, the City hired Catherine Matheson as the new Interim Commissioner for Health and Human Services
• On October 16, 2023, the City hired Lori Kelly as the new Director of Municipal Transition and Integration

Tags

• Regional Governance/ Independence