Full Breakdown
Mississauga’s First Mayoral Debate Highlights Police Funding, Data Centres and Budget Records
By Drooid · · How we work
Poll Landscape Ahead of the October Election
A Liaison Strategies poll conducted last month showed incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish and former mayor Bonnie Crombie tied at 35 % support among decided voters. The same poll gave Councillor Dipika Damerla 13 % and Councillor Alvin Tedjo 9 % support. With just over a month left until election day, the four candidates used the debate to differentiate their platforms.
Debate Focus: Police Funding, Data Centres, and Budget Records
The first debate, hosted at Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion Campus, centered on three contentious issues.
- Regional police funding – All candidates agreed the current formula forces Mississauga to pay more than neighboring Brampton and Caledon. Crombie and Tedjo argued the mayor should sit on the police board to advocate for a fairer formula.
- Data-centre moratorium – Council recently imposed a pause on new data-centre development to allow public consultation. Parrish defended the moratorium as a response to public concern but emphasized that data centres are needed to attract companies such as AstraZeneca. Tedjo raised worries about granting developable land to U.S. firms, while Crombie questioned whether the land is being used optimally. No candidate proposed an outright ban.
- Police-budget voting record – Damerla attacked Tedjo for supporting a 23.3 % police-budget increase in 2025, the largest in the region’s history. Tedjo countered that he initially backed a motion to revise the increase to ensure fairness.
Official Statements & Responses
Parrish framed the police board as an “arms-length institution” and said she cannot criticize it while serving. Crombie responded, accusing Parrish of abandoning her fiduciary duties as mayor. Tedjo highlighted his endorsement by the Peel Regional Police Association, citing plans for more mental-health professionals and crisis workers. Damerla emphasized the need for fiscal responsibility, noting the steep tax rise tied to recent budget decisions.
Verbatim Quotes
- “That's your job. It's your responsibility to fight for Mississauga, for negotiation, to go for Mississauga and make sure that the right resources and the right budget are passed at the police board,” — Councillor Alvin Tedjo
- “You have abdicated not only the police board, but your duties, your fiduciary duty as mayor,” — Bonnie Crombie, former mayor