TEDJO: Mississauga overdue for change of leadership

Councillor Alvin Tedjo explains why he's running for mayor

Published Apr 30, 2026  •  Last updated 19 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Alvin Tedjo is a city councillor in Mississauga. SUPPLIED/TORONTO SUN

Mississauga is at a turning point.

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It’s a big city that’s still growing, but stale leadership is keeping it anchored in the past.

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Four years ago, I was elected to Mississauga city council to be the voice for my neighbours, and achieve the type of change that we needed in the community – change you could actually see.

As councillor, I’ve been able to make life more affordable by reducing transit fares for kids and seniors, and reducing utilities costs for low-income seniors and families. I’ve worked to cut emergency response times, and make our neighbourhood roads safer. I’ve worked to expand affordable housing options and get investments from other governments.

But there are persistent challenges that go beyond my neighbourhood. And it has become clear that Mississauga’s leadership lacks the urgency, energy, and the innovative thinking to tackle them. From the housing slump to rising crime, and the sky-rocketing cost of living, it’s harder and harder to raise a family in Mississauga.

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We can’t afford more of the same

Successive leaders have led Mississauga farther away from being a place that families could afford. I know this because my wife and I are raising our three kids here, and we’re facing those same challenges. Like most residents of this city, we just can’t afford more of the same.

Mississauga is overdue for a change. That’s why, this October, I will be running to be the next mayor of Mississauga.

The rising cost of living has pushed families to the brink, with one in 13 Mississauga residents now relying on food banks. In response, Mayor Carolyn Parrish has overseen municipal taxes go up 15% in just two years.

While violent crime and thefts have been on the rise, she has been openly fighting with Peel Regional Police instead of finding solutions.

Residents have repeatedly called for transit expansion and to fight gridlock so we can get home to our families sooner, instead, we have a multi-billion dollar convention centre proposal that no one is asking for.

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Maybe the old approach of picking public fights, and raising taxes to pay for pet projects worked in the past, but it doesn’t work anymore. Outdated politics have not kept up with modern times, and Mississauga residents deserve a mayor who understands the challenges they are facing today.

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Mississauga’s challenges require action

I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved as councillor, but Mississauga’s challenges require action. We need city-wide change that makes a difference today, and with a plan for tomorrow. We need to tackle the cost of living, the housing crisis, gridlock and public safety. We need to build a city where people can see a future for themselves and for their families.

Most importantly, we need urgency. But under this mayor, even the simplest things get tangled in a web of bureaucracy. Just this week I proposed a three-month tax holiday to try and give people and businesses a break, but the mayor voted against it, recommending a study that considers this for 2027 instead.

It’s time to move on from the tired leadership of the past, and embrace new ideas, energy, and focus on what people actually want from their city.

Over the next six months, I will be in every community talking to the residents of Mississauga about how a new mayor can deliver the change that we need so urgently.

— Alvin Tedjo is a city councillor in Mississauga and placed second to Carolyn Parrish in the 2024 mayoral byelection.

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