Mississauga councillors voted Wednesday to waive the municipal portion of property taxes for those residents displaced by the Hickory Drive explosion that took place in June 2016.

"It is incumbent upon me, as the councillor for this area, to recognize the lives of these residents are still turned upside-down," said Ward 3 councillor Chris Fonseca.  

Twenty-nine families have yet to return home since the blast that rocked the neighbourhood eight months ago. Police eventually determined the explosion was deliberately set and said it was a double suicide.

Holding back tears, Fonseca moved a motion Wednesday that asked the city to issue a grant equal to the outstanding property taxes owed by homeowners from the time of their displacement to the time of occupancy, unless their property had been sold.

"I know there is no history here. There is no precedent for doing this. However, we are a city of many firsts," she said.

Ward 3 councillor Chris Fonseca said displaced residents in her ward should not be paying property taxes on homes they can't live in. (City of Mississauga )

Setting a precedent was a concern, at first, for Mayor Bonnie Crombie and other councillors during the debate. They questioned whether future victims of tragedy would expect the same treatment.

"This is unprecedented and while we recognized this situation, I do not want to open ourselves up for future issues that may occur such as fires, floods, etc., without a proper procedure in place," Crombie said.

Crombie emphasized the fact that an appropriate framework would have to be put in place for future disasters and ended up voting in favour.

"We did what was right. I'm proud of my council for their compassion during what is truly an extraordinary situation," the mayor said in a statement.

Two homes on either side of the house that exploded on Hickory Drive had to be torn down following the blast on June 28. (CBC)

Fonseca's initial motion asked for regional, school board and municipal taxes to be waived, but council agreed to waive only the city's part – an estimated $20,000 in total rebates or the 29 properties.

Mayor Crombie and councillors called on the province to take action so that the burden does not continue to fall solely on the city, including waiving the provincial portion of the property tax collected.

"Frankly, we are the only level of government that has stepped up," she said.

Council has also waived the 1.25 percent late payment charges for displaced residents and the $15 tax appeal application fee.

"We continue to work with impacted property owners, their insurance companies, utilities and partner agencies to help the community on the road to recovery," Crombie.said.