A subway extension into Mississauga, property tax freezes and an independent auditor general were among the proposals mayoral candidates presented at an Oct. 5 debate, offering residents different approaches to transportation costs and municipal spending.
The Pointer reported that Bonnie Crombie, Dipika Damerla and Alvin Tedjo participated in the POLICORNER event at City Hall. Incumbent Carolyn Parrish did not attend, and the three candidates criticized her absence.
The discussion covered affordability, policing, congestion, housing costs and government accountability, following earlier debates hosted by the Mississauga Board of Trade and Food Banks Mississauga.
Transit and property tax proposals
Crombie proposed extending Toronto’s Bloor subway line from Kipling Station into central Mississauga. She presented the extension as a way to reduce congestion and encourage people to switch from driving to public transit.
The former Mississauga mayor also supported establishing an independent auditor general, saying stronger scrutiny of city spending would help reduce taxes.
Damerla committed to freezing property taxes in 2027 and said she would bring back her proposal to create an independent auditor general. Her motion to establish the position earlier this year was defeated, with Parrish and Tedjo voting against it, according to The Pointer.
Damerla also called for changes to the policing funding formula. She argued that controlling the city’s spending alone would not address affordability because regional taxes account for a slightly larger share of residents’ combined property tax bills.
Policing is a regional responsibility. Mississauga’s 12 council members also sit on Peel Regional Council, alongside representatives from Brampton and Caledon.
Tedjo has pledged to freeze property taxes for his first two years in office. His proposals also include deferring taxes for some seniors until their homes are sold, when the outstanding money would be collected.
His opponents have questioned how the city would replace revenue under those proposals and who would qualify for assistance, The Pointer reported.
Council powers and Peel’s future
Asked whether they would use strong mayor powers to override a council majority, Damerla and Tedjo opposed doing so. Crombie left open the possibility, pointing to her previous use of the powers to support an affordable housing motion tied to federal funding.
All three candidates said they favoured Mississauga leaving the Region of Peel and becoming an independent municipality.
Parrish has said she does not need to attend similar events after participating in earlier debates and outlining her platform, according to The Pointer.
At the Food Banks Mississauga debate on Oct. 1, she defended her administration’s housing record, citing a task force involving 25 developers and reductions in developer fees. She said those measures would speed approvals and lower the cost of new homes.
