A tearful Bonnie Crombie submitted her letter of resignation as the mayor of Mississauga on Wednesday, as she prepares to step away from the role after winning the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party.
According to the letter of resignation filed with the city clerk, Crombie is planning to resign on Jan 12, 2024 and is asking that the seat be declared vacant as of Jan 17.
“Mississauga is my home, a place I chose to raise my kids,” a visibly emotional Crombie told her council colleagues.
“For nearly a decade, I’ve had the honour of serving the residents of Mississauga and before that as councillor of Ward 5.”
Crombie, who has served as Mississauga’s mayor since 2014, was recently crowned as the leader of the struggling Ontario Liberals at the party’s convention on Dec. 2.
Immediately after, Crombie signalled a desire to wrap up their city’s budget process which, as a result of provincial changes, is largely led by the mayor’s office using strong mayor powers granted by Premier Doug Ford.
At the final city council meeting for the year, Crombie said she would work with city officials to ensure a “smooth and orderly transition” which includes passing the 2024 budget to ensure the city is “set up for success.”
As she announced her resignation, Crombie also drew parallels between the challenges residents in Mississauga face with the rest of the province, as she broadens her political focus ahead of the 2026 provincial election.
“The issues that our residents face, from housing, to the cost of living, to access to healthcare and education, are the very same ones that millions of Ontarians are also grappling with,” Crombie said.
“So it’s time for me to take on a new challenge.”