Mississauga council is set to pitch a new funding model for Peel police that, if adopted, may shift $69 million in annual policing costs to Brampton taxpayers.

The proposal would adjust the funding formula for Peel Regional Police starting in 2020 to an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) model, which combines a per-household cost and charges based on number and types of calls in the respective cities.

Citing numbers from an Ernst and Young analysis that was commissioned by the Region of Peel, Mississauga staff said in a report that an OPP model would save Mississauga taxpayers around $69 million annually.

“This would not have any direct impact on the city’s or the region’s budget, it would simply more equitably assign the costs to the taxpayers of the two cities,” the report said.

If the Peel police budget stayed the same under the OPP model, Brampton would likely be on the hook for the remainder.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said the current funding formula for Peel police is “unfair to Mississauga taxpayers.”

“We'll still cover their budget, we'll just do it a little bit differently,” she said.

In an email, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said the OPP funding model is “oriented to rural policing” and won’t address the complexities of service needed in Peel.

“If Mississauga sought the per-capita formula, it does not speak to industry nor does it speak to demand, which isn’t always based on population or tax base,” he said. “Many municipal police agencies cross several cities and towns.”

The funding change would require a triple majority to pass at the region. That means the proposal would need support from at least one other municipality at the region, including 51 per cent or more of the votes at Peel council, and Brampton or Caledon would have to pass a supportive resolution at their own council.