Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga and 2004 World Mayor finalist for the Americas
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The City of Mississauga
Mayor Hazel McCallion acts locally and thinks globally, and is committed to enriching the lives of her citizens. At 83 years of age, she has served the public for some 25 years, leading the transformation of a few small towns into the sixth largest city in Canada. Currently celebrating 30 years of city status, Mississauga is synonymous with Hazel McCallion.
Mayor McCallion is runner up in World Mayor 2005
In 2003, Mayor McCallion received the Award for Leadership in Public Service from the US-based International Economic Development Council. In 2004 she received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance for her leadership in bringing together the 30 Mayors and regional chairs of the Greater Toronto Area for the economic benefit of the entire region.
Elected for a tenth term of office in 2003 with 92 per cent of the vote, Mayor McCallion's Inaugural Speech clearly outlined her priorities for the next three years. She is advocating a new deal for municipalities, one that supports a strong sustainable future and permits local governments to control their own destinies. Mayor McCallion's current role as Chair of the Large Urban Mayors' Caucus of Ontario (LUMCO) gives her the opportunity to raise municipal issues and concerns to both the provincial and federal government.
Also supporting this agenda is the Mayor's advocacy for "smart growth". This is the planned development of communities whereby urban sprawl is contained and growth managed. Her leadership as Chair of the Province of Ontario's Smart Growth Panel supports her priority for the creation of a coordinating body to bring consistent policy direction to the development of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), of which Mississauga is a part. A key goal is to have the government endorse overall development principles that include land use and infrastructure planning.
On transportation issues, Mayor McCallion advocates a coordinated GTA-wide approach to solving the transportation and gridlock problems. One success recorded in 2004 was the creation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes to allow transit buses the right-of-way on the paved shoulder of a major expressway. The Mayor is also a big supporter for trails, linear linkages and a strong bicycling committee to encourage citizens to walk or cycle around the city.
Also in 2004, the Mayor together with her Council is promoting the separation of Mississauga from the Region of Peel (upper tier government). She is lobbying the provincial government to allow Mississauga to be a one-stop shop for citizen service delivery and keep its property tax dollars for local priorities. In early 2004, the City released a report entitled Financial Impact Report on Mississauga as a Single-Tier Municipality whereby an independent consultant confirmed that it costs Mississauga taxpayers as much as $32 million every year to deliver services from two levels of government. Mayor McCallion has presented this information to the Premier of Ontario and his government and has asked for a timely and decisive response.
Mayor McCallion is committed to creating a safe and healthy environment for all citizens. In 2004, Mississauga was rated the "safest city in Canada" by the Mississauga Crime Prevention Association, compared with cities of similar size, for the fourth consecutive year. The Mayor continues to support the City's highly successful anti-litter program aimed at community participation and education. In 2004, the anti-litter program had been endorsed by 26 municipalities in Ontario, each one following the tenets of Mississauga's campaign.
On the technology front, the City is moving forward on an ambitious plan to bring a number of City services to citizens via the Web, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Launched in late 2003, eCity, the City's web portal supports a wide variety of services such as scheduling building inspections, buying tax certificates and viewing tax assessment information. In 2004, citizens will be able to go online to apply for jobs, obtain transit maps and pay for fines. In the area of Recreation & Parks programming, the goal is to have 70% of all transactions conducted electronically.
As the City enters its final phase of greenfield development, growth will begin to slow as will the source of new revenues from new assessment. Following a year-long process, City staff has inventoried more than 200 municipal services, defined service levels and will be presenting to Council recommendations related to cost reduction and service level adjustments. This review under the leadership of the Mayor will reflect her operating philosophy based upon managing the City's funds as judiciously as her own and maintaining the City's debt-free status where citizens enjoy one of the lowest tax rates in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area).
Finally, Mayor McCallion's support of her community, and beyond, includes her membership on the advisory committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) Centre for Health Development. This involvement led her to establish a partnership with the University of Toronto at Mississauga to create a "Healthy City" made-in-Mississauga model that focuses on longitudinal studies on inputs and outcomes related to measures to create healthier citizens and critical intervention efforts.
At the local level, the Mayor supports a variety of cultural events including Carassauga, which showcases pavilions representing Mississauga's diverse community. Now in its 19th year, the three-day event will showcase 19 different countries. On a personal note, as a result of a trip to Tanzania last year, Mayor McCallion was determined to reach out to support the victims of HIV/AIDS in that country. She launched "Hazel's Hope" this past April when she delivered the keynote address at Mississauga's "Women of Courage" Luncheon series and encouraged everyone to donate "one twoonie" (=CAN$2) to support this cause.
Profile of Hazel McCallion
Mississauga City Hall
Introducing
World Mayor 2006
The World Mayor project is now in its third year. As in 2004 and 2005, this year’s World Mayor will again be seeking out mayors who have the vision, passion and skills to make their cities amazing places to live in, work in and visit. The World Mayor project aims to show what outstanding mayors can achieve and raise their profiles. It honours those who have served their communities well and who have made contributions to the well-being of cities nationally and internationally. The most outstanding mayor of 2006 will be presented with the World Mayor award.
In 2004, Edi Rama, Mayor of Tirana, won the Award. The 2005 winner was Dora Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens and now Greek Foreign Minister.
Between January and May each year, citizens from across the world are invited to nominate mayors for the World Mayor Award. They are also asked to provide reasons for their choice. After the close of the nomination stage, City Mayors, the organisers of the contest, prepare a shortlist of mayors who go forward to the second round of the World Mayor contest. In 2006, the list of finalists includes 50 mayors from North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australasia as well as Africa.