Governance Committee

Meeting #:

Date:

Monday, March 31, 2025

Time:

1:00 PM

Location:

Council Chambers, Civic Centre, 2nd Floor

300 City Centre Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L5B 3C1

and Online Video Conference

Members

• Mayor Carolyn Parrish, Ex-Officio
• Councillor Dipika Damerla, Ward 7 (Chair)
• Deputy Mayor and Councillor Matt Mahoney, Ward 8 (Vice-Chair)
• Councillor Fonseca, Ward 3
• Councillor Joe Horneck, Ward 6
• Councillor Brad Butt, Ward 11
• Harminder Dhillon, Citizen Member
• Jennifer Green Frank, Citizen Member

Staff Present

• Heleana Tsabros

Goeff Wright, City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer
Graham Walsh, City Solicitor
Raj Seth, Commissioner, Corporate Services
Diana Rusnov, Director of Legislative Services and City Clerk
Sacha Smith, Manager/Deputy Clerk, Secretariat and Access & Privacy
Angie Melo, Legislative Coordinator

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1.

CALL TO ORDER

Councillor Damerla, Chair called the meeting to order at 1:00 PM.

2.

INDIGENOUS LAND STATEMENT

Councillor Damerla, Chair, recited the Indigenous Land Statement. 

3.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Item 7.1 was moved ahead of Item 7.2 and Item 7.4 was removed from the agenda.

That the agenda of March 31, 2025, at 1:00 pm Governance Committee meeting be approved as amended.

Approved (Councillor B. Butt)

4.

DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Nil

5.

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

5.1

Governance Committee Draft Minutes - January 27, 2025

Councillor Damerla noted an amendment to the minutes under Other Business that deputants have the option of providing their address in advance to the Clerk's office if they do not wish to state it at the meeting and that it is not mandatory to provide their address at other Committees.

Approved (Councillor J. Horneck)

6.

PRESENTATIONS - Nil

7.

DEPUTATIONS

7.1

Glenn Voakes, Resident with respect to Councillor conduct

Glenn Voakes, Resident spoke regarding the lack of reciprocal conduct to residents and provided background regarding his deputation to Regional Council regarding the proposed Region of Peel's Five-Year Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program ("Program").  Mr. Voakes noted that throughout discussions with Regional Councillors and staff, he did not receive any negative feedback on his approach to his deputation and did take into account suggestions made.  Mr. Voakes, shared his experience of a City of Mississauga Councillor's conduct, during a visit to a local cafe and a subsequent meeting.  Mr. Voakes requested that the Committee review the conduct of the Councillor and suggested making changes to the Code of Conduct to include respect for residents.

Mayor Parrish recommended that residents who have concerns regarding Councillors conduct, that they bring it forward to the Integrity Commissioner.

Councillor Mahoney, spoke to the process of bringing forward issues to the Integrity Commissioner.

Councillor Butt enquired about when the Code of Conduct was last reviewed, and who is responsible for the content in the Code of Conduct. In response, Diana Rusnov, City Clerk, advised that the Code of Conduct was last reviewed during the last term of Council and that the Integrity Commissioner prepares the Code of Conduct based on best practices across other municipalities in Ontario.

In response to Councillor Damerla's enquiry regarding whether the Code of Conduct contains language regarding Councillor's conduct towards residents, Diana Rusnov, City Clerk cited Rule 12 of the Code of Conduct regarding respectful workplace.

• RECOMMENDATION GOV-0007-2025
  Moved By Councillor B. Butt

  That the deputation from Glenn Voakes, Resident regarding Councillor conduct be received for information.

  Received

7.2

Glenn Voakes, Resident with respect to selection process of Citizen Members on Advisory Committees

Glenn Voakes, Resident expressed concerns regarding the selection process for membership to the Combating Racism, Discrimination and Hatred Committee and enquired about the Committee's Terms of Reference, where is sets out a criteria for groups to be represented, that there is not a criteria for Jewish representation.  Mr. Voakes shared his experience with a City Councillor who met with him and others from the Lisgar Residents’ Association regarding an earlier deputation made by a Jewish resident, and the Councillor's conduct during that meeting.  Mr. Voakes enquired with the Councillor on whether the Committee's selection process was weighted on specifics and measurable, and it was suggested that the process used supported weighted. Mr. Voakes provided an overview of the Committee's application questions, rankings and graded score.  Mr. Voakes acknowledged Councillor Damerla's Motion to add a Member of the Jewish community to the Committee, and requested that the Committee's application, selection process and Terms of Reference, specifically relating to term limits, be reviewed.

In response to Councillor Mahoney's enquiry regarding the process to undertake a review of the Committee, Diana Rusnov, City Clerk, advised that the Committee was recently established with a new Terms of Reference, that the selection process is the same as other advisory committees; however, some of the application questions are tailored to the Committee’s mandate.

In response to Mayor Parrish's enquiry regarding what resolution to the Councillor's conduct would Mr. Voakes would like to achieve. Mr. Voakes noted that Councillors selected to be on the Committee be screened further and respectful.

Direction was given to Clerk’s Office staff to undertake a review of the selection process and Terms of Reference, and report back to the Governance Committee.

In response to Councillor Horneck’s enquiry regarding the application questions, Diana Rusnov, City Clerk advised that the questions were directed towards lived and professional experience in the field.

• RECOMMENDATION GOV-0008-2025
  Moved By Councillor J. Horneck

  That the deputation from Glenn Voakes, Resident regarding selection process of Citizen Members on Advisory Committees be received for information.

  Received

7.3

THIS ITEM HAS BEEN REMOVED

10.1 Jonathan Giggs, Resident 

*Jonathan Giggs withdrew from making a deputation

7.4

Item 10.1 Bev Knox, Resident

* Bev Knox withdrew from making a deputation

8.

PUBLIC QUESTION PERIOD - 15 Minute Limit - Nil

9.

CONSENT AGENDA

• RECOMMENDATION GOV-0009-2025
  Moved By Councillor J. Horneck

  The following items were approved on the consent agenda:

  10.2 Status of the Governance Committee Work Plan

  Carried

10.

MATTERS CONSIDERED

10.1

City of Mississauga Election Campaign Contribution Rebate Program Review

In response to Mayor Parrish's enquiry regarding the eligibility criteria for the rebate program, whether contributors must be Canadian Citizen and whether we can enforce this Rule, and how much staff time is spent on processing rebates, Diana Rusnov advised that the voters list is provided by Elections Ontario and there is no way of confirming citizenship eligibility, therefore not enforceable, and that it took one staff member approximately three to four months to process the rebates.

Mayor Parrish moved a Motion that the rebate program apply only to residents of Mississauga, and that a review of rules be included in a report back to the Committee to identify what rules can and cannot be enforced, and what other municipalities are doing.

Diana Rusnov, City Clerk, referred to page five of the report that speaks to the maximums of other municipalities, their formulas, and enquired whether there is a preferred formula as outlined on the chart.

Members of Committee engaged in discussion regarding contributors maximum contributions, looking at other formulas, the benefit to some candidates to have the rebate program, whether to continue with a rebate program and whether to limit the rebate program to residents of Mississauga only, benchmarking of municipalities that  take contributions from contributors across the province, and those who take contributions from contributors only from their municipality.

• RECOMMENDATION GOV-0010-2025
  Moved By Mayor C. Parrish
  1. That the corporate report dated March 1, 2025 from the Commissioner of Corproate Services entitled City of Mississauga Election Campaign Contribution Rebate Program Review be received.
  2. That staff be directed to report back on a rebate program to apply only to Mississauga residents, with a lower maximum payout formula and appropriate enforceable criteria to be eligible for a rebate.
  Carried

10.2

Status of the Governance Committee Work Plan (CONSENT)

• RECOMMENDATION GOV-0011-2025
  Moved By Councillor B. Butt

  That the status of the Governance Committee Work Plan items, updated for the March 31, 2025 Governance meeting, be approved.

  Carried

11.

MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE COUNCIL PROCEDURE BY-LAW - Nil

12.

INFORMATION ITEMS - Nil

13.

OTHER BUSINESS - Nil

14.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING - May 12, 2025

15.

ADJOURNMENT

2:02 PM (Councillor J. Horneck)