Brown: Brampton must be fairly compensated for contributions to Peel Region

It’s time to pay for new water and wastewater treatment plants in Brampton and just when the bill is due, Mississauga wants to leave without paying.

thestar.com
May 24, 2023

This is an exciting time for Brampton. We are a vibrant and mature community that is the fastest growing large city in Ontario. Our population is projected to grow by 41 per cent by 2051 and we have a plan in place to build the homes those families will need. With this rapid expansion, outpacing that of our neighbouring municipalities, the dissolution of Peel makes sense, but it will have a price tag --- a big one.

We all know that Mississauga has wanted independence from Peel for a long time. Mayor Bonnie Crombie supports the dissolution of Peel because it will save Mississauga $1 billion. What she conveniently doesn’t mention is the fact that dissolution will cost Brampton and Caledon billions in turn. The truth is that the cost of replacing or upgrading infrastructure, future growth and other financial factors cannot responsibly be ignored when considering an undertaking like this. These costs are real --- and they are enormous.

For example, the two water and waste treatment plants that service Peel are located in Mississauga. What Mayor Crombie won’t acknowledge is that Brampton helped to pay for these essential facilities and the dissolution of Peel means Brampton will lose them as they have reached capacity --- which also means a service agreement between the municipalities is not an option.

Having to rebuild our water and wastewater system from scratch is going to be both expensive and urgent --- our research estimates at least $4 billion. Ontario is in the middle of a housing crisis, yet we have been forced to turn down four housing projects recently because of a lack of servicing capacity. It is now time to pay for new water and wastewater treatment plants in Brampton and just when the bill is due, Mississauga wants to leave without paying.

Brampton has also contributed to four Peel Regional Police facilities that are located in Mississauga. Policing costs across the region have been calculated using an assessment-based formula, meaning that every household in Peel pays the same amount.

Mayor Crombie claims that they subsidize our policing costs, but this is simply incorrect. Data supplied by Peel Regional Police shows that Mississauga makes greater use of policing services, including more calls for service, due to their larger population. Additionally, Mississauga uses Peel Police’s specialized marine unit, something Brampton obviously has no need for. We’re paying fairly for the front-line services needed within our city.

Mayor Crombie’s argument about financially supporting Brampton and Caledon over the years is missing a fundamental point: the majority of growth has occurred in Mississauga --- and we have all been paying for it. It is now Brampton’s turn to grow and we should get our previous investment in Mississauga back, and we should get it in 2023 dollars, not the cost when the water and wastewater facility was built 50 years ago. We all know 1970s dollars are not equivalent to today’s dollars --- the cost of labour, materials, inflation, required studies, and much more have increased the price tag far beyond what the Mississauga mayor is claiming.

The fact is that Mississauga holds billions of dollars worth of infrastructure that is needed by all three communities and I intend to make sure that the value of our previous investments and replacement costs are taken into account. Everyone knows you can’t have taxation without representation. Well, I say no dissolution without compensation.

I, too, have been pleased to hear Premier Doug Ford commit to ensuring that “Brampton will always be taken care of and they’ll be made whole.” I will take Premier Ford at his word that he will make sure Brampton gets its fair share when Peel Region is dissolved.

We know our worth --- and I am prepared to make sure that we get back everything we have invested into Peel over the years. Fairness for Brampton isn’t something that we hope for --- it’s something we demand.

Brampton welcomes independence, but we expect to get our fair share. We are pleased that the province is taking action on this long-standing issue and look forward to showing the world what Brampton can achieve as a world-class city.