Mississauga is demanding answers from Region of Peel Chair Nando Iannicca.

In a leaked email obtained by the Mississauga News, Mayor Bonnie Crombie accused the regional chair of possibly overstepping his authority by commissioning a Deloitte Canada financial analysis about regional governance in Peel.

Crombie confirmed the email’s authenticity, adding she asked to have the correspondence she sent to Iannicca March 30 be added to the region’s April 11 council agenda.

“I was very surprised to learn that the region of Peel had commissioned Deloitte to undertake a financial analysis to form the basis of the region’s position on regional government,” said Crombie in the email, adding her city was caught off guard by the report and Peel region council's decision to release it to the public last week.

“It is unfathomable to me that you (Iannicca) would commission a report without council’s knowledge and, more importantly, council’s approval,” she added.

The Deloitte report called some findings in an earlier financial analysis by Mississauga city staff “flawed.” In response, Mississauga council accused the Deloitte report of being full of assumptions.

In her email, Crombie accused Iannicca of using the Deloitte report to issue a position on behalf of regional council to the advisers undertaking the province’s review earlier this year, suggesting he may have overstepped his authority if he did so.

“Like all members of Mississauga council, I was shocked last week when I found out that not only had the appointed Regional Chair commissioned what we now know is a $325,000 report, but that he also gave a copy in advance to only one member of council,” Crombie told The News, identifying Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown as the regional councillor she believes received a copy of the report before others.

"The Deloitte report shows Mississauga's numbers are flawed. It specifically says that. I am glad the truth is out," said Brown on April 5.

Deloitte’s report for the region didn’t make any recommendations but explored the financial implications of three options: amalgamation, dissolution and maintaining Peel region as is. It found dissolving the region would be the most costly option while keeping Peel intact would be the most affordable for taxpayers.