Landslide victory for Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie

Thestar.com
October 23, 2018
Louie Rosella

It will be four more years of Bonnie Crombie as Mayor of Mississauga.

The city’s incumbent chief magistrate, garnering nearly 80 per cent of the vote, is set to win her bid for a second term as mayor by a landslide Monday evening (Oct. 22), wiping out her seven opponents with the closest contender being Kevin Johnston.

Mayor Bonnie Crombie revealed she would seek reappointment to the Peel Police Services Board, which she sat on for two years. This will be an interesting initiative as the Board is tasked with hiring a new chief of police.

“Mississauga is our city, and I am truly honoured that you are giving me the opportunity to continue to be your voice at City Hall,” Crombie said from her victory party late Monday night at Le Tréport Banquet Hall in Mississauga.

“I could not be more excited and energized for what the future will bring. Working together, we will continue to build and shape this great City.”

So, what can Mississauga residents expect from the mayor?

Transit and policing are sure to be high on Crombie’s list over the next four years.

She has worked tirelessly to secure funding for the controversial Hurontario LRT line, a light rail transit system linking Mississauga and Brampton, which is scheduled to be built during her second term in office and up and running in 2022.

Crombie has said she “will continue to work diligently to improve community safety to ensure Mississauga remains one of the safest cities in Canada.”

Her plans include continuing to vote to staff Peel Regional Police and advocate for additional funding from senior levels of government.

Crombie revealed she would seek re-appointment to the Peel Police Services Board, which she sat on for two years. This will be an interesting initiative as the Board is tasked with hiring a new chief of police following Jennifer Evans’ surprise retirement announcement earlier this month.

Crombie will be calling on all levels of governments to invest more in initiatives targeting at-risk youth, mental health and poverty reduction.

“Our City’s motto has always been ‘pride in our past, faith in our future.’ I am here to tell you that this has never been more true,” she said recently. “I am just as proud of the work that was done by those before me, as I am excited about what lies ahead for our City. We have limitless potential, and I am confident that working together, we will move Mississauga forward.”

Crombie says her objectives for the next four years is to grow the city, maintain its record of fiscal management and make smart investments to move the city forward.

Syed Qumber Rizvi, a first-time mayoral contender, said the loss won’t deter him from holding Crombie accountable at City Hall.

“I will definitely be visiting council regularly to make sure the City is being managed properly and the needs of the residents are being met,” he said. “There are a lot of problems here (in Mississauga) when it comes to traffic and lack of opportunities for our youth, so there is lots to fix.”

Crombie praised the work she and city council have done in the last four years, but conceded that there’s still work to do. She listed among her achievements attracting 430 new businesses and adding 11,500 new jobs, thereby increasing the tax base by $20 million. She said she would continue her plan to address affordability, safety, and transit issues while working to attract business investment to the city.