For Mayor Linda Jeffrey, 2017 ended how it started: Damage from the deep schism caused by personal pettiness divided council during this term and continued to hurt Brampton’s future.

From a police investigation into secretive, unapproved non-union employee bonuses to a controversial decision to buy a money-losing golf club from a developer with close ties to council members, Jeffrey’s role on council last year, as it has been for most of her administration, was reduced to that of a bystander while her rivals dictated most of the legislative outcomes. Her loss of control inside city hall prompted the mayor to declare publicly, “I’ve never seen things so bad as they are now.”

The drama has set the stage for a highly charged election campaign in 2018.

Here is a list of five things to watch out for in Brampton this year.

SWQ Lawsuit

Mayor Linda Jeffrey may have taken steps to restore the public’s faith in local government, but the contentious $205-million city hall expansion project has been a heavy weight to bear for Brampton’s leadership. Although the alleged wrongdoing in the historic development deal occurred before her time, the mayor has faced criticism for not doing enough to shed light on the 2011 transaction that has locked the city into legal troubles and caused significant reputational harm. A trial, which will force former Mayor Susan Fennell, former city manager Deborah Dubenofsky and other former and current officials, to face examination, is scheduled for May and could easily drag on well into the summer, possibly framing much of the election campaign. The trial for the $28.5 million lawsuit filed by a local developer disqualified from the bid process will come at an awkward time for Jeffrey and other members of council as it could potentially show voters exactly what has been taking place inside city hall for years, even under their watch.

Brampton University

After failing to get much done over the last three years, the mayor and city councillors will look to the proposed university campus as a welcome distraction. The unveiling of details, including the location for the new university campus project led by Ryerson University and Sheridan College, is expected sometime in January. It will likely be situated in the downtown. Speculation already suggests a location next to the GO Train station, while many community leaders and rival councillors want it at Rosalea Park and River Walk. This debate could prove to be even more contentious than the LRT one that drove the deep wedge between council, creating two factions. With a game plan for post-secondary education finally in place, city officials will get to work on transforming Brampton into a university town. But the key issue remains unresolved: In a city already strapped financially and taking on more debt, where will all the needed money come from?

Regional Chair

For the first time voters will cast their ballots for the position of Peel Region chair in 2018. Historically an appointed position, Queen’s Park introduced new legislation in 2016 in an effort to strengthen local government and fix a process characterized by critics as flawed and undemocratic. When Frank Dale won the regional chair in 2014, it was because he was able to cast the tiebreaking vote for himself over his opponent, former Brampton regional Coun. John Sanderson. So far, only a handful of names have emerged as potential candidates in the race for the region’s top job, including Mississauga Coun. Ron Starr and Charles Sousa, Ontario Finance Minister and a Mississauga MPP. Rumours have also been swirling that Fennell might run for the job.