Brampton (Rajeev Sharma): Brampton families are working harder, paying more and getting squeezed from every direction, mayoral candidate Jagruti Bhatt told National Times, as she unveiled an aggressive six-point affordability agenda aimed at tackling what she describes as a growing cost-of-living crisis in the city.
In an exclusive conversation with National Times, Bhatt said the financial pressure on Brampton households has reached a point where families can work multiple jobs and still struggle to cover basic monthly expenses. Her campaign estimates that a typical household may face $5,000 to $7,500 or more every month when housing, property taxes, auto insurance, groceries and utilities are combined.
Bhatt said her campaign is not simply about promising another round of municipal programs, but about confronting what she sees as excessive costs and bureaucracy coming directly or indirectly from government. She is putting the affordability of residents’ homes, businesses and everyday lives at the centre of her mayoral bid.
One of her strongest commitments is to abolish Brampton’s current Residential Rental Licensing (RRL) by-law. Bhatt told National Times that homeowners and landlords should not be subjected to unnecessary administrative burdens while legitimate health and safety standards remain firmly enforced.
She is proposing a replacement framework called “Occupancy C.A.R.E.”, which she says would concentrate on genuine safety and occupancy requirements while reducing what she characterizes as excessive bureaucracy. Bhatt argues that City Hall should protect residents rather than make it more difficult and expensive for them to maintain their homes or provide rental accommodation.
Property taxes are also squarely in Bhatt’s crosshairs. She told National Times that, if elected, her administration would scrutinize City spending, identify low-priority expenditures and look for efficiencies before asking residents to shoulder additional costs. She also wants the City to explore legally available relief and rebate measures for seniors and qualifying households.
But Bhatt says Brampton’s affordability problem does not stop at City Hall. She plans to make high auto-insurance premiums a provincial issue, pressing the Ontario government and regulators to reconsider geographic and postal-code-based insurance rating. She argues that Brampton drivers should not continue facing what she considers unfairly high insurance costs simply because of where they live.
Bhatt is also targeting the cost of doing business. Her campaign proposes cutting City licensing and business fees by between 30 and 50 per cent for small businesses and home-based entrepreneurs. Speaking to National Times, she said municipal government should be removing barriers to entrepreneurship rather than adding another layer of costs for people trying to build businesses and create jobs.
Transit is another major part of her affordability strategy. Bhatt wants to pursue significantly cheaper Brampton Transit passes, particularly for students and seniors. She says affordable public transportation could reduce the pressure on families to maintain multiple vehicles, potentially lowering expenses related to insurance, fuel and vehicle maintenance.
On housing and food security, Bhatt is calling for the City to move faster on affordable housing development using municipally owned land. She also wants stronger support for food banks and grocery co-operatives to help residents gain access to affordable basic necessities.
Bhatt told National Times that the central question for Brampton is no longer simply how fast the city can grow, but whether its residents can afford that growth. She is promising to make household affordability, protection of homes and businesses and reducing unnecessary government bureaucracy defining priorities of her mayoral campaign.
Her message to voters is direct: Brampton should be a city where families can build a future not a city where they are forced to work harder simply to stay financially afloat.
