Brampton appoints additional regional councillor, more sought

The City of Brampton appointed city councillor Grant Gibson as a Regional Councillor to serve at Peel Regional Council. Seven members of Peel regional council, including the mayor and six councillors, now represent Brampton residents.

In 2005, Bill 186 gave the City of Brampton one additional regional councillor for the 2006 municipal election. This was contrary to the recommendations of provincially-appointed independent facilitator Judge George Adams, whose report called for Brampton to receive an additional five seats at regional council.

Earlier this year, city council approved a process to appoint the additional regional councillor from among the five elected city councillors. Gibson will now sit as a member of both city and regional council for the full term (2006-2010). He will take the Oath of Office at Peel Regional Council's

Mayor Susan Fennell vowed to continue the fight to ensure that Brampton achieves appropriate representation levels at Peel regional council.

“All Brampton councillors should sit at both city and regional council,” she stated. “Anything short of that is inconsistent with the democratic principle of representation by population.”

After the 2006 census results are released in March 2007, the City of Brampton plans to pursue an application to the Region of Peel for additional regional councillors.