Hazel McCallion

April 2004

Mississauga – needs to have “One Voice” as a vibrant, mature city that can in managing its affairs with other levels manage its affairs with one level of A Separated, of government. Currently, we pay local government. Cities such as Barrie, Independent City 66 per cent of the property tax in the London and Windsor, all of which have Your City Council is dealing with an Region and have 63 per cent of the populations less than ours, have been issue of great importance to the future population; yet, we only have 48 per separated cities for years. It’s time to of Mississauga. It’s about Mississauga cent of the vote. That is simply not fair. do it in Mississauga. becoming a separated, independent It is clear that we can no longer afford City Council needs your support to city no longer a part of the Region of to send our tax dollars to subsidize show the Premier and the Government Peel. services in and Caledon. of that you want Mississauga, If you recall, in 2003, I sent you a For example, the taxpayers of your city, to be independent before newsletter to report the findings of Mississauga pay 2/3 or $24,000 per the next municipal election in 2006. the Citizens’ Task Force on the Future year of the salary of a Councillor from To achieve this, the Municipal Act must of Mississauga. This Task Force Caledon at the Region, while taxpayers be changed this fall. recommended that the City of in Caledon pay only $21,000 to the Please support our “One City, One Voice” Mississauga become a stand-alone same Councillor to sit on their local campaign using the on-line form at city. This year, Council commissioned Council! www.mississauga.ca/onecityonevoice a detailed Financial Impact Report or by completing the enclosed pledge from an independent consultant, which form and returning it to the City of measured the impact on property taxes Mississauga. for Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon should Mississauga separate from the I encourage you to discuss this Region of Peel. important issue with family and friends. You can also contact me, your Ward The Financial Impact Report told us Councillor or Member of Provincial what we have known for years – Parliament. See the last page of this Mississauga taxpayers have always newsletter for contact information. paid a disproportionately high share We have presented the Task Force of the Region of Peel’s costs. In fact, Report and our financial analysis to The time for change is now. the report estimates that it costs the . We believe Sincerely, Mississauga as much as $32 million this material makes a strong case for every year to deliver services from two Mississauga as a Separated City. levels of government. As Mississauga matures and the cost to maintain the Mississauga is a city with a strong City’s infrastructure and services goes reputation built on solid leadership and up, those property tax dollars must fiscal responsibility. We are ready to stay in Mississauga to maintain our control our future in a way that will Hazel McCallion, community and our services. benefit all residents and businesses – Why a Separated City?

KEEP TAXES IN MISSISSAUGA Did you know? 1 MISSISSAUGA 4 DESERVES FAIR REPRESENTATION Mississauga residents • Mississauga has always paid a pay over 66 per cent of disproportionately high share of •Mississauga residents pay the property tax in the the Region of Peel’s costs. 66 per cent of the regional Region of Peel • It costs Mississauga taxpayers property tax, have 62 per cent $32 million more every year to of the population and only BRAMPTON 48 per cent of the vote on provide services through two Regional Council. 28% levels of government. CALEDON 6% • Money raised for the Region IT’S THE RIGHT of Peel from Mississauga THING TO DO residents should not subsidize 5 66% services in Brampton and Mississauga has strong • MISSISSAUGA Caledon. leadership. •We are one of the best managed municipalities in On the 21-member (elected) ELIMINATE OVERLAP Canada. For the 4th year in a 2 IN SERVICE row we have been named one Region of Peel Council, of Canada’s top 100 employers. Mississauga has 10 seats • Overlap exists in areas such as or only 48 per cent of the land use, transportation planning •Mississauga is debt-free and has low taxes. vote on how the regional and road services. budget is spent We have the trust and confidence “One stop” shopping for all • • of Mississauga residents. CITY OF BRAMPTON municipal services is much more POPULATION 335,000 •Mississauga has a clear vision of efficient and saves valuable staff the future. time and tax dollars that can be used to improve services. CLOSE THE WARD 28% 6 POPULATION GAP ( 6 seats ) CANADA’S SIXTH 24% •Today, we have an inequitable ( 5 seats ) 3 LARGEST CITY representation by population. DESERVES A VOICE 48% •The average population per ( 10 seats ) • Mississauga is a mature city Regional Councillor in Caledon of 680,000. is 10,000; in Mississauga, the average is 75,000. • We are the sixth largest •In fact, two Mississauga wards municipality in Canada, third have over 100,000 residents. TOWN OF CALEDON largest in Ontario. POPULATION 50,000 •We do not have the votes No other city of our size • on Regional Council to give CITY OF MISSISSAUGA in Ontario is part of a regional Mississauga residents a POPULATION 680,000 government. fair voice. Answers to your Questions Who will provide We would take responsibility for neighbour municipalities across all municipal roads operations and the entire Golden Horseshoe to police services? land-use planning for Mississauga. co-ordinate solutions to our land The current Police Services Board For some services like garbage development, transportation, traffic presently provides services only collection, we would take over the and waste management issues. to Mississauga and Brampton. This contract and manage it ourselves. service would continue unchanged. The City of Mississauga’s proposal Some services such as social services suggests to the Province that a series What about other and public health which are best of economically-viable, separate, regional services? delivered across a broad base may locally accountable, yet inter- best be dealt with by a services dependent and closely-linked We believe that municipal services agreement between municipalities. communities will give citizens the should be delivered in the most best possible type of communities. effective way, offering citizens “one- Why is a Separated stop” shopping. The Region delivers Mississauga has always set the many overlapping services that make it Mississauga the answer? example of how municipalities should more confusing and more complicated To deliver the right municipal services, be run. We want to continue making for taxpayers to get things done- not we need to look beyond our borders. the right decisions that will protect the to mention more expensive. Mississauga would work with its quality of life in our community. Milestones on the Road towards Separation 1974 : Regional Municipality of Peel established as part of the Province Panel, chaired by Mayor Hazel McCallion to address issues of gridlock, of Ontario’s initiatives on government reform that resulted in five solid waste and growth strategy. regional governments being created within the Greater Area (GTA). May 10, 2002 : The Citizens’ Task Force presents its final report, The City of Mississauga became one of the three municipalities within the Region of Peel. “Securing Our Future,“ which makes a number of recommendations on governance, services and funding including the phasing out of regional 1995 : Coinciding with the Provincial government’s GTA Task Force, government five years after the formation of a GTA-wide governing body the City of Mississauga demonstrates its commitment to change by intended to provide delivery of certain services. introducing a series of reports and recommendations on GTA reform. January 16, 2000 : passes a resolution dealing February 2003 : Mississauga residents receive Mayor Hazel McCallion’s with a report written on behalf of six GTA outlining restructuring first Update on the issue of independence. Over 13,000 pledge cards are of 905 municipalities. returned in support of independence from the Region of Peel. February 2001 : Mayor Hazel McCallion appoints a 20-member volunteer February 25, 2004 : City Council receives a report, “Financial Impact Citizens’ Task Force to examine and bring forward recommendations on Report to the City of Mississauga on the Transition to a Single Tier,” governance for Mississauga and the GTA. prepared by an independent consultant. Mayor Hazel McCallion shares December 31, 2001 : The Provincial government dissolves the Greater Toronto the report with Premier Dalton McGuinty and the Provincial government Services Board and subsequently appoints a Central Zone SMART GROWTH requesting a decision be made before the next municipal election in 2006.

Have questions? Add them to the attached pledge card ? or contact the Mayor or your Ward Councillor. CONTACT YOUR MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU SUPPORT A SEPARATED MISSISSAUGA, INDEPENDENT OF THE REGION OF PEEL CONTACT YOUR MAYOR Councillor , Ward 5 CONTACT YOUR MPP Mayor Hazel McCallion 905-896-5500 Harinder Takhar 905-896-5555 [email protected] MPP & Minister of Transportation [email protected] Councillor George Carlson, Ward 6 Mississauga Centre 905-897-8815 CONTACT YOUR COUNCILLOR 905-896-5600 [email protected] [email protected] Councillor Carmen Corbasson, Ward 1 Councillor Nando Iannicca, Ward 7 , MPP 905-896-5100 Mississauga East carmen.corbasson@mississauga .ca 905-896-5700 [email protected] 905-238-1751 Councillor Pat Mullin, Ward 2 [email protected] Councillor Katie Mahoney, Ward 8 905-896-5200 Bob Delaney, MPP [email protected] 905-896-5800 [email protected] Mississauga West Councillor Maja Prentice, Ward 3 905-569-1643 905-896-5300 Councillor Pat Saito, Ward 9 [email protected] [email protected] 905-896-5900 [email protected] Tim Peterson, MPP Councillor Frank Dale, Ward 4 Mississauga South 905-896-5400 905-278-1557 [email protected] [email protected] Vic Dhillon, MPP Brampton West-Mississauga 905-796-8669 [email protected] Kuldip Kular, MPP Bramalea, Gore, Malton,Springdale 905-799-3939 [email protected]

FOR MORE INFORMATION To obtain more information such as a copy of the Citizens’ Task Force Final Report “Securing Our Future” or the Financial Impact Report, go online to the City’s Web site at www.mississauga.ca/ onecityonevoice ✄ Show your support! Complete the othµ side of this card and mail it today.

Fold along dotted line and seal before mailing

City of Mississauga, Communications Division 3rd Floor, North Tower 300 City Centre Drive Mississauga ON L5B 3C1 YOUR VOTE COUNTS SHOW YOUR SUPPORT During the next few months, City Council will be asking the Premier of Ontario to make Complete this pledge card changes to legislation that will allow Mississauga and return it to the City of to become a Separated City. We want to be independent by January 1, 2006 and we need your Mississauga support to convince the Premier to take action.

Fold along dotted line and seal before mailing

I support the City of Mississauga in its goal to become Yes _____ No _____ a Separated City, no longer a part of the Region of Peel. I would like to receive emails or notices on this topic. Yes _____ No _____

Name: ______Address: ______

Email: ______

Question/comment: ______Personal information on this form is collected under the authority of Section 173 of the Municipal Act, and will be used to evaluate resident support for the City of Mississauga’s One City, One Voice campaign. Questions about this collection should be directed to: Freedom of Information Co-ordinator, Office of the City Clerk, City of Mississauga, 300 City Centre Drive, Mississauga, ON L5B 3C1 ✄