The Business of Local Government: Mississauga City Council

Countries in the Commonwealth are said to have a simple, yet effective structure of government. They have ways to deal with issues, be it a small issue on a street in a city, or the question of crime safety in a state, or even the defence of the whole country. Each level has its political masters, ready to tackle all problems. A level of government that mostly works behind the scenes, is Local Government. Local City Council, Parish Councils and School District Boards in some cases all work in order to ensure the smooth running of a township or city. 

The iBusiness Times managed to have an exclusive interview with Mississauga City Councillor, and former Member of Parliament, Bonnie Crombie. In this interview, Councillor Crombie comments on the role of a city council, how it is different to being in the Parliament, and a few other things.

We would like to thank Mississauga Ward 5 (The Largest Ward in Mississauga) City Counillor, Mrs Bonnie Crombie and her personal staff for letting us get in touch with her.

The interview:

How did you get into politics? Where were your humble beginnings?

I have been involved in politics for most of my life. I became involved in my teens in student politics. I have volunteered on many campaigns and have been active in politics at all three levels of government.

What is the function of the City Council?

The job of City Council is ultimately to ensure the good governance of the City of Mississauga. We do this by passing by-laws related to a host of issues. City Councillors are first and foremost the representatives of the people of the city and act as advocates for people in their wards. We are also tasked with ensuring the business of the city is done in a timely manner and that we continue to progress. At the same time, City Councillors can do a great deal in their wards as community and neighbourhood builders. They can support local programs, host festivals and events, and make a significant difference in the lives of residents.

What do you enjoy most of your job as a politician in the local government?

I thoroughly enjoy meeting and working with residents. It gives me great satisfaction to assist them with their concerns, but also to work with them to build up our communities and take our city forward. Public service is incredibly rewarding and at the municipal level, a councillor can achieve results for residents much more quickly than at other levels.

We understand you were formerly a Member of Parliament, is there any difference you find between the issues you bring up to the council, and the Parliament of Canada?

There is a difference in the scope of the issues I deal with. As a federal Member of Parliament, I often dealt with immigration cases and issues that were national in scope. As a municipal politician, I deal with issues that are much more local. For instance, if a watermain ruptures, I am the person that residents call to fix it. The job is much more immediate at the municipal level. I have found that my experience at the federal level, especially having been a member of the Standing Committees on Infrastructure and Public Accounts have given me a different perspective on the business at City Hall. I see the importance of cities to the future of our country and the importance of providing adequate funding to our municipalities for critical items like infrastructure and transit.

Mississauga is currently part of the Peel Region, and there has been much talk of the Mississauga City Council wanting to break off as an independent region, do you support this? Why?

I would be interested in seeing the business case for this before I would make any decision. Mississauga has been part of Peel Region for 40 years and to remove ourselves from this partnership could result in additional costs. As Mississauga continues to grow and develop into a pre-eminent city in Canada, I think it is important that we have a conversation about our governance and where we want to go.

What immediate changes would you like to bring to Mississauga, should you win the upcoming Mayoral Elections?

My priorities are simple: invest in rapid transit, now; build our infrastructure and strengthen our economic competitiveness; and respect taxpayers by ensuring residents continue to receive high quality services for their tax dollar.

Do you have any advice to the young and budding politicians?

Get involved in your community first, before you decide to run. And, become as well-rounded as possible. It is important to have a wide depth and breadth of experience before entering political life, including charitable and not-for-profit service, and community involvement. There are many ways to serve your community and I think it is important that people running for office have this experience first before they put their name on the ballot.

As this interview shows, every stage is necessary. Parliament stages answer big, national and international political question marks, while the Local Government ensures that everything goes well in the individual cities. City Councils are definitely a good way of having citizens voices heard.