When Mizisaga Mayor Caroline Barish resigned from a regional police board, he was surprised by his decision, quoting the need to openly criticize the biggest budget increase in the history of the army.
But for those who have long known her, the 78-year-old former MP has always approached politics-out-of-speaking, bold and sometimes controversial.
After leaving the Peel Police Services Board in the fall, Barish said $ 144 million for the police budget-62 per cent of the Mizisaka taxpayer is closed by taxpayers-this is “unfair.”
“The reason I have to leave is that you have to sign a pledge. You have to sign a pledge when you go to the Police Services Board – never accept the decision taken in the group – publicly,” he said in an interview last month. “I have no choice but to resign.”
The extraordinary action was one of the signs of his early mayor.
Parish was elected to lead the seventh largest city in Canada in the Middle Ages after June 2024 after Bonnie Chrombi, who resigned for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party.
Former high school teacher Barish, who was encouraged to start attending a Peel District School Board meetings with his children’s school principal 40 years ago, became interested in politics 40 years ago, and eventually became a board trustee in 1985.
He was elected as a liberal in 1993 and left the House of Commons and left federal politics for more than a decade, after his anti -American ideas and his own criticism during the invasion of Iraq, he was expelled on his own criticism during his own criticism. Prime Minister Paul Martin.
Barish later worked in the Mississaqa city council for years before winning the mayor race.
In 2026, he said that politics was not enough for four decades to run for a full time as mayor.
“I have a lot of things I want to finish,” he said.
Some of the things she have achieved so far and the way she done it have attracted attention.
On the campaign path, Parish said that he was trying to avoid the so-called Mayor’s powers-the authority granted in the state, which allows the mayor to rent fire and department leaders.
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However, he used powers several times in his first week, including the firing of the city’s CEO and hiring interim leaders of some departments.
Barish said that after the new CAO, Jeff Wright was permanently made, the power to hire and make firing decisions.
Mississaka, a city of about 800,000 people west of Toronto, is fighting the home crisis, the cost of living, property tax increases and traffic congestion. Barish said that one of the 13 Misicaka residents used food banks last year.
“This is a big problem. This is a hidden issue. ”
One of the first moves he has made as mayor is to create a housing task team with the best developers of the Greater Toronto area to accelerate the home building.
With the goal of creating more than 124,000 new home units, the Mississa Council has approved the recommendations of the work committee to reduce development charges, change the zone and renew the building and design standards.
“I’m very proud of it,” Barish said about this effort.
Before the council voted on the issue, he said he was ready to push his strong mayor’s powers again.
“I think Caroline Barish was the same person who was the whole political life,” said Missisaka Councilor Alvin Tedjo, who ran against Barish in the Mayor race.
“She speaks openly. She has strong ideas. And she wants to do things.”
Like it was done on the Mount of Parliament two decades ago, Parish’s expression has caused controversy in his new role.
Last November, he attracted sharp criticism for referring to Nelson Mandela, and he spoke about Hamas militant leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in the Gaza area.
“Your terrorist and someone else’s terrorist may be two different things,” he said at a congregation meeting in response to a meeting of Sinwar in Mizisaka’s celebration Square, which was eventually canceled by organizers.
Barish also said that the committee planning the event had the right to freedom of expression and a peaceful assembly.
He denies what he wanted to compare Mandela and Sinwar, but critics say that most people explained his views.
“Mississaa is a very different place, we need to be careful in our words,” Tedjo said in an interview. “Comparison. I don’t think. It is fair.”
But when he visited Israel and Gaza, Barish said his comments were made by his many years of experience as an MP.
Tedjo, who promised to freeze property taxes for two years, was one of the three Mississaka councilors who voted in favor of a 23.3 percent budget for Peel. This is an unprecedented rise of Peel Regional Council after several hours of heating debate in late January.
Barish said that the members of his own congregation are “very destructive” to see the other team in the middle of the fight “. He said he was forced into a small police budget hike in 14 or 18 percent.
Barish said the new cost of the police would increase the property tax in Mississaaka by six percent – without giving the best results in dealing with crimes.
“The impact on our taxpayer will be terrible,” he said.
But Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who is sitting on the Peel Police Service Board, argued that public security is greater than concerns about tax hikes.
Brown said at a recent regional council meeting that the police need more officers and resources to address the rising crime rates in the region.
Many members of the Peel Police Board did not respond to the demands of the Canadian newspapers.
He warned that Parish may have lost his war on police expenses, but it does not mean that the fight is over.
He said his next move was to work with the province to ensure that his city’s tax dollars were openly spent by the police.
“The entire process of police budgets must be changed and there is more secret,” he said.
