Brampton council votes to stay in Peel region with no change in government

Councillors in Brampton, Ont., voted unanimously Tuesday evening to maintain the city's two-tiered governance structure amid a provincial review of dozens of municipalities.

At a special meeting, Brampton councillors voted in favour of keeping both the city's own municipal government and the wider Region of Peel government in place.

A statement from the city said the decision was made "to protect the taxpayers of Peel Region," adding that dissolving the regional government would cost residents more.

It cited studies from Deloitte and Ernst & Young that it says found any changes to upper-tier governance structure would lead to higher costs.

Brampton solicited public feedback on the issue through an online survey, a telephone town-hall meeting and other methods.

Mayor Patrick Brown says in a statement that Brampton residents clearly are in favour of the existing Peel Region and city council governance structures.

"The public's primary concern was uncertainty around cost," Brown said.

The city said the decision has been submitted to the special advisers leading the provincial review, who began their work in December and are set to make recommendations to the province this summer.

Ontario Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark said in January that the government wasn't ruling out amalgamations as it began a review of 82 municipalities across the province.

Councillors in Mississauga, Ont., hope the city can become independent of Peel Region, while those in Caledon have voted to hold public consultations on the issue.

Mississauga mayor not surprised by Brampton vote

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said in a statement Wednesday that the Ernst and Young report proves the city's position that it would be better off alone.

"It does not surprise me that the other municipalities in the region want to maintain the status quo because they are benefiting at Mississauga's expense," Crombie said.

"Taxpayer dollars should stay in Mississauga, and we should have full control over all decisions related to the future of our city."

The provincial review also affects Halton, York, Durham, Waterloo, Niagara, Muskoka District, Oxford County, the County of Simcoe and all of their lower-tier municipalities.