Peel mayors say Parrish 'a welcome addition' in Mississauga
Patrick Brown, Annette Groves say incoming mayor could mean more co-operation on joint issues
Thirteen months after the province announced the Peel family would be splitting up, the family is now back together with a new matriarch. And other mayors in the region say it could mean old tensions will be a thing of the past.
Mississauga elected Carolyn Parrish as its next mayor in a byelection on Tuesday. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Caledon Mayor Annette Groves have had ample opportunity to work with Parrish, who served alongside them as a regional councillor for several years until she resigned her seat in March to run for mayor.
The province announced it would be halting its plans to dissolve the Regional Municipality of Peel in December, but said it would transfer some responsibilities, like urban planning, from the region to the cities. Planning is now under the purview of the municipalities, but transferring other responsibilities like waste management has yet to be finalized.
Brown and Groves told CBC Toronto that Parrish, who will be sworn in on June 24, called them less than 48 hours after her win to discuss joint priorities.
"I feel like, on how we make the region work, we're on the exact same page," said Brown, referring to Parrish. "It's just a really refreshing tone change."
Last year, Brown called the proposal to dissolve Peel Region "catastrophic." He sparred with Mississauga's then mayor Bonnie Crombie, who advocated for the change, at a joint press conference during which they both claimed each city was owed millions of dollars by the other.
Groves said at the time, she felt like the forgotten child in a divorce.
"Unfortunately in the last few years it became Mississauga against Brampton and Mississauga against Caledon," said Brown. "Carolyn takes the same approach as Hazel McCallion that a win anywhere in Peel is good for all of Peel."
Meanwhile, Groves called Parrish, whom she endorsed during the election, "a welcome addition to the family."
Parrish made similar comments about her new Peel colleagues on election night, telling reporters, "I think if we all work together, we can get more for our people."
Seeking more funding for social services
All three mayors told CBC Toronto they're focused on securing more public funding from the province for social services.
A report from the Metamorphosis Network, a coalition of over 100 social services non-profit organizations in Peel, found that residents in the region are missing out on provincial funding of $578 per person compared to similar communities.
Non-profit organizations are being underfunded, said Groves, but so is the region, which also provides social services to residents directly.
The mayor of Mississauga, the largest city in Peel, plays a central advocacy role in lobbying the province for a larger share of the pie, she said.
"She's a great advocate," said Groves, referring to Parrish, "and I see this as something really great moving forward for the region."
Parrish has also said she would pursue a "new deal" with the province for Mississauga, similar to the agreements struck by Toronto or Ottawa.
Brown said he hopes Parrish is successful, because it could help him justify his own fight for a new deal for Brampton, which is only slightly smaller in population.
Province likely cautious about one-off deals
Healthier relationships between the new mayors bode well for the region, said Zachary Spicer, a professor at York University's School of Public Policy and Administration, but it doesn't provide a sure path to additional provincial money.
"It's not an area where you can do one-off deals," he said.
Securing additional grant or other short-term funding is likely a more achievable goal, Spicer said.
When it comes to funding social services, the province is more likely to examine its approach across the board than offer an agreement to one region or city, he said.
"I don't think the province wants to be getting into a situation where they're cutting one-off deals with different cities based on size," he said.
But Mississauga, as the third largest city in Ontario and a key political battleground for the Progressive Conservatives, could stand a chance, Spicer said.
The province did not provide a direct response to CBC Toronto's request for comment on the prospect of Mississauga or Peel Region securing a new funding agreement.
Colin Blachar, press secretary to the provincial minister of finance, congratulated Parrish on her election and said the government "stands in strong partnership with the Peel Region."
He pointed to previously announced commitments, saying Ontario is assisting municipalities including Peel Region with $1 billion for the new Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, investing in GO transit, including the Hazel McCallion LRT extension, increasing the Housing-Enabling Water Systems fund to $825 million and providing $1.2 billion through the Building Faster Fund.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
