Facing pressure from city council, Mayor Linda Jeffrey will ask the province to commit a greater share of funding toward the city's new university campus.

Jeffrey will lead a council delegation to Ottawa next week for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario's (AMO) annual conference. At AMO, city leaders will lobby support on a number of local strategic initiatives, including asking for a majority share of the $180 million Queen’s Park has committed toward building new post-secondary spaces in Brampton and Milton.

This fall, the province is expected to reveal more details about the university project centred on science, technology, engineering, arts and math. It is unclear how the $180 million will be split between both municipalities.

“As the second fastest growing of Canada’s largest cities, Brampton is a key contributor to the economy. This council is committed to working together with the provincial government in building a stronger future with enhanced transit connections, post-secondary education, a vibrant health and life sciences cluster, and a strong focus on innovation and excellence," Jeffrey said in a release.

Establishing a university is one of Jeffrey's main election promises and a cornerstone in her plans to transform the city into a global innovation and health services powerhouse.

However, the mayor has been fiercely criticized for lacking a clear plan on how to press the city’s case for a university facility. Brampton is the largest city in Canada without a university presence.

While bringing together prominent leaders in the community, including former premier Bill Davis to form a blue-ribbon university panel, Jeffrey faced sharp criticism for being ineffective in the race to land a university after the province initially signalled that either Milton or Brampton would get one.

With Milton way ahead on its plans and with Brampton still looking for a university partner, the province bailed the city out, announcing that both municipalities would get a university. At this stage, Brampton has found a partner, Sheridan College and Toronto's Ryerson University, but a site has not been selected and there has been no clear funding strategy put forward by the city, which could put council in a bind as they edge closer to 2018 budget talks.

During the Aug. 9 council meeting, Michelle McCollum, senior manager of strategic development, advised councillors that officials should “start discussing a potential municipal contribution into this initiative.”

A report detailing a funding strategy options will go before councillors in September.