Patrick Brown announced he was running for mayor of Brampton again on Monday morning.

The city’s incumbent mayor announced the candidacy just weeks after he was kicked out of the federal Conservative Party leadership race.

Brown is seeking his second term as mayor after being elected first in 2018. His re-election bid comes at a time when Brampton City Council is divided over its leadership.

“I just wanted to let everyone know that after talking to my family, we have decided to reinstate my name as mayor of Brampton,” Brown said at the press conference.

“It has been the greatest privilege to serve the city for the past four years, and I look forward to the next four.”

WATCH: ‘I’m moving on’ after Tory leadership disqualified Patrick Brown says:

He joins Jermaine Chambers, Vidya Sagar Gautam and Cody Vatcher in the mayoral race.

Brown cited funding for a new hospital, medical school, transit facility and electrified transit fleet among other economic development projects as goals achieved under his tenure. .

Brown also froze property taxes for four straight years in Brampton, a move popular with many voters.

“We did a lot of great work at the town hall,” he said.

Brown disqualified from Tory leadership race

On the social front, Brown noted his continued opposition to Quebec’s Bill 21, citing his support for religious freedoms.

Earlier this month, Brown was disqualified from running for the leadership of the federal Conservative Party due to allegations related to an apparent violation of Canada Elections Act funding rules.

The Conservative leadership election organizing committee has been tight-lipped about the nature of the allegations, though Brown and his campaign have denied any wrongdoing. They are currently appealing the decision. A woman identifying herself as the campaign whistleblower said she personally discussed with Brown an arrangement for her to be paid by a private company, and that he approved.

Brown again said “there was no wrongdoing” in his federal campaign, but said his focus is now on Brampton.

“I will no longer be involved in the leadership campaign, my goal will be to build a great team here in Brampton,” he said.

Responding to allegations that Brampton is his second choice, he said “I could have served Brampton nationally”, but said he was always going to champion the growing city.

“I will be strong and I will be heard to make sure the people of this city are never harmed,” he said.

During the Conservative leadership race, Brown urged voters to support candidates who share the same inclusive values ​​as Bramptonians.

“I believe they were on the wrong side of history when it came to marriage equality, Islamophobia and Bill 21,” he said of the federal conservative leadership.

“If we take an extreme approach, it will not be in Canada’s best interest.”

Brown is currently battling against a group of 5 advisers

Shortly after he was disqualified from the CPC leadership race, a group of five Brampton councilors drafted a statement saying, “Democracy in Brampton is under siege because of Patrick Brown.”

In the letter, they cited financial and contractual irregularities during his tenure as mayor. They also voted in favor of an investigation into full university contracts for Brampton.

A report from the city’s acting chief administrative officer in May found that $629,000 went to four vendors involved in the project, but staff were unable to find the final product for five of the identified ‘deliverables’. in expenses.

Five advisers wrote that most of the money went to a company, which employed a close associate of Brown.

Brown responded that it was an attempt by councilors to distract from their opposing motion to fill a vacant seat. The group of five councilors voted to appoint Elaine Moore, a former city and regional councilor, to the seat of former councilor Charmaine Williams, after being elected at Queen’s Park in the last provincial election.

An Ontario judge overturned that appointment shortly thereafter.

Brown, speaking to reporters afterwards, welcomed the judge’s finding. He alleged that Moore’s appointment was an attempt to “take control” of the city council and called it “blatant, wrong and illegal.”

But councilors who backed Moore’s nomination hoped she would help “unearth” problems with Brown at Brampton City Hall, as she criticized his tenure as mayor.

Brown briefly mentioned the conflict with other advisers in his speech.

“The court ruled that no councilor was above the law and councilors who opposed my term as mayor were tried in court for breaking the law,” he said.

“We can never have advisers who think they are above the law.”

Brown, a former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, has been mayor of Brampton since 2018. He resigned as his PC leadership after allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to his time as an MP surfaced. Brown has denied any wrongdoing in regards to these allegations.