Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie didn't mince words in the first Mississauga council meeting after the Ford government decided to keep Peel Region together.

During the Oct. 30 council meeting, Crombie said the provincial government "backtracked" and gave Mississauga "false hope" of a separation from Peel, something the city has long been campaigning for.

"For whatever reason, they seem to have lost their backbone to do the right thing for the right reasons," she said. "And I'm deeply, deeply disappointed."

After the Ford government's Oct. 25 announcement, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said in release that the decision to keep the region together was in the best interest of taxpayers in Peel.

In her comments at council, Crombie disputed Brown's statement.

"I'm very unhappy that Mayor Brown continues to say that it would have cost tax payers money, because it would not have cost Mississauga tax payers money (to separate)," she said. "It costs us to continue with the status quo."

Asked whether the comments at council might impact the city's relationship with the province and Brampton, a spokesperson from Crombie's office said in an email that studies show, "Mississauga taxpayers are not getting a fair deal from the region and this needs to stop."

"Mayor Crombie has been clear with the province and Premier Ford that while she’s disappointed in their decision given the strong support from residents and business case, that she’s willing to work with her regional colleagues and the province to take steps toward resolving some of the issues at the region," the email said.

In materials promoting separation from Peel, Mississauga has maintained that leaving the region would mean an $85 million savings for city residents and businesses.

A Deloitte report from earlier this year found that Mississauga would benefit most from a break up in Peel, including an increase of $2.4 million in net assets, while Brampton would be the most negatively impacted.