Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie announces resignation – So now what?
MISSISSAUGA, Dec. 13, 2023 – We all knew this day was fast approaching, but today, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has announced her resignation effective 5 p.m. EST on January 12, 2024. This comes after her recent victory as Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. Mayor Crombie’s resignation will mark the end of her term as Mississauga’s Mayor, which began on December 2, 2014.
What day will be Bonnie Crombie’s last day as Mayor?
Mayor Crombie has provided the City Clerk with a letter indicating the date she intends to resign. After the resignation takes effect on January 12, 2024, City Council must then declare the Mayor’s seat vacant at the next Council meeting, which will be held on January 17, 2024. Once the Mayor’s seat has been declared vacant, her seat on Peel Regional Council will also be deemed vacant.
“For nearly a decade I’ve had the honour of serving the residents of Mississauga as their Mayor and before that, as Councillor for Ward 5,” said Bonnie Crombie.
“I want to thank the residents of Mississauga for their confidence and trust they have placed in me to lead this city. Mississauga is my home and I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together to grow and transform our city, the third largest in the province, into a thriving urban hub that is the envy of the world,” continues Crombie.
Who will sit on the Boards?
Mayor Crombie is currently appointed to the Alectra and Peel Police Services boards. Council will be asked to appoint new representatives. Today, Council nominated Ward 8 Councillor Matt Mahoney, as the City’s representative on the Peel Police Services Board.
“The issues that our residents face from housing, to the cost of living and access to health care and education, are the very same ones millions of Ontarians across the province are grappling with. It’s time for me to take on a new challenge as the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in tackling these issues and many more… I hope to continue to give back and do good for this city on a provincial scale,” concluded Crombie.
So what does this mean for Mississauga’s leadership after January 12, 2024? The answer is not disimilar to when Toronto Mayor John Tory resigned – business as usual – although rather than just one acting mayor, Mississauga will have a rotating cast of acting mayors, until a new one is elected.
Here’s how it will work:
What happens next?
Acting Mayor
Mississauga has an Acting Head of Council By-law where councillors rotate into the position every two months on an ascending basis by ward. The Acting Mayor for December and January is Ward 4 Councillor, John Kovac.
Mayoral By-election
Once the resignation occurs on January 12, 2024, Council has 60 days to pass a by-law for a by-election for the vacant seat. In accordance with s.284.12 of the Municipal Act, the Head of Council (Mayor) cannot be appointed. In accordance with the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, a by-election must be called to fill the vacant position. No further details are available on the date of a by-election, but will be shared once Council has passed the by-law.
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