Ontario looking at how to transfer regional services to municipalities of Peel

The Ontario government may not be dissolving Peel Region, but it is still exploring the possibility of transferring certain regional services to municipalities.

The Peel Region Transition Board was first established last year to determine how best to make Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon independent cities. It was tasked with reviewing issues related to finances, governance and shared core services.

When the government announced in December that it would be reversing its decision to make these three cities single-tiered municipalities, the transition board remained intact. Instead, the government said it would focus on making recommendations on “optimizing the delivery of services that support the commitment to build more homes” in an effort to make municipal governance more efficient.

In a letter sent to the chair of the transition board on Wednesday, obtained by CTV News Toronto, Minister of Municipal Affairs Paul Calandra details what the group will work on now that dissolving the region is off the table.

The board will be responsible for providing recommendations on how to transfer four services to the cities of Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon. These services—land use planning, water and wastewater, regional roads and waste management—are currently overseen by a regional council.

“All other services delivered by the Region of Peel are considered out of scope for the transition board at this time,” Calandra wrote, adding that any recommendations put forward must ensure “service continuity for residents without disruption.”

Both Brampton and Caledon had expressed concerns about how dissolving Peel Region would impact them financially, as well as how it would impact shared services such as policing, paramedics and public health.

Issues such as water delivery were also high up on the list of concerns.

The ministry has asked that the transition board provide their recommendations by the spring.

The transition board is comprised of five individuals—a former provincial financial accountability officer, two former Toronto deputy city managers, a former York Region police chief and a business lawyer who focuses on infrastructure.

Board members will receive a per diem of $1,200 per day for a maximum of 320 full days. The chair of the board gets a per diem of $1,500.

For days in which the chair or members work for three hours or less, they would receive half the per diem.