Mississauga mayor accuses Peel Region chair of overstepping authority in leaked email
Bonnie Crombie says Deloitte financial audit commissioned by region on province's regional governance review was out of bounds
Yorkregion.com
April 8, 2019
Graeme Frisque
Mississauga is demanding answers from Region of Peel Chair Nando Iannicca.
In a leaked email obtained by the Mississauga News, Mayor Bonnie Crombie accused the regional chair of possibly overstepping his authority by commissioning a Deloitte Canada financial analysis about regional governance in Peel.
Crombie confirmed the email’s authenticity, adding she asked to have the correspondence she sent to Iannicca March 30 be added to the region’s April 11 council agenda.
“I was very surprised to learn that the region of Peel had commissioned Deloitte to undertake a financial analysis to form the basis of the region’s position on regional government,” said Crombie in the email, adding her city was caught off guard by the report and Peel region council's decision to release it to the public last week.
“It is unfathomable to me that you (Iannicca) would commission a report without council’s knowledge and, more importantly, council’s approval,” she added.
The Deloitte report called some findings in an earlier financial analysis by Mississauga city staff “flawed.” In response, Mississauga council accused the Deloitte report of being full of assumptions.
In her email, Crombie accused Iannicca of using the Deloitte report to issue a position on behalf of regional council to the advisers undertaking the province’s review earlier this year, suggesting he may have overstepped his authority if he did so.
“Like all members of Mississauga council, I was shocked last week when I found out that not only had the appointed Regional Chair commissioned what we now know is a $325,000 report, but that he also gave a copy in advance to only one member of council,” Crombie told The News, identifying Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown as the regional councillor she believes received a copy of the report before others.
"The Deloitte report shows Mississauga's numbers are flawed. It specifically says that. I am glad the truth is out," said Brown on April 5.
Deloitte’s report for the region didn’t make any recommendations but explored the financial implications of three options: amalgamation, dissolution and maintaining Peel region as is. It found dissolving the region would be the most costly option while keeping Peel intact would be the most affordable for taxpayers.
Mississauga has made no secret of its desire to exit the region, last attempting to do so in 2003 under former mayor Hazel McCallion. On March 20, Mississauga council passed a motion in principle asking the province to pass legislation allowing Canada’s sixth-largest city to finally make that long desired split.
“We have passed a motion on regional governance that is in opposition to the position offered by the regional chair. It’s important we get answers for our taxpayers to better understand who made decisions, when they were made and on what authority,” said Crombie.
That motion led to Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown issuing a statement suggesting Mississauga would owe his city “hundreds of millions of dollars” for infrastructure paid for with shared regional funds.
Crombie disagreed in a March 25 Mississauga News article, calling Brown’s position “factually incorrect“ and saying her city would owe Brampton nothing should it quit Peel.
The city of Mississauga is hosting a public town-hall meeting on April 8 at 7 p.m. at the Mississauga Civic Centre to provide an update on the province's regional governance review and city's position to residents.
Visit www.peelregion.ca to view the full Deloitte report. Visit www.mississauga.ca to view the city's report.
The Mississauga News sent multiple requests for comment to Iannicca but was told by his office the chair would not be responding by the stated publication deadline.
