The City of Orillia adopted a Code of Conduct on March 5, 2012. The Code, together with provincial legislation, sets out ethical standards of behaviour for Members of Council and Committees.
The Integrity Commissioner is primarily responsible for:
- Informing Members of Council of the duties and obligations as they relate to the Code of Conduct;
- Responding to requests for advice from Members of Council related to their obligations under the Code;
- Conducting investigations into alleged breaches of the Code;
- Reporting annually to Council on the activities of the Integrity Commissioner.
Message from the Integrity Commissioner
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At any level of government, the public's perception of ethical government decision-making is critical to its reputation and to the level of public trust and engagement. This perception shapes the public's opinion about government officials' personal integrity, honesty and ultimately, the government's performance. It can overshadow all other values of a government organization, including competence, experience and expertise.
It is for the above-noted reasons that the City of Orillia tasked the Office of the Integrity Commissioner with the application of the Code of Conduct for Members of Council and Committees. A Code of Conduct provides some very important functions, including the following:
- It is an externalized recognization of a common understanding by Members of Council that ethical behaviour is expected by all of its members;
- It serves as a guide and reminder of expectations for behaviour and actions for specific and generalized situations;
- It is an indication to the public that Members of Council are seriously committed to being held accountable for the responsible and ethical conduct of its members;
- It provides a tool to evaluate and strengthen support for doing 'the right thing.'
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Complaint Process
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An individual, employee, member or member of the public having reasonable grounds to believe that a member has breached the Code of Conduct, may submit a complaint no more than six months after the alleged violation occurred.
The Code contains an informal and formal complaint procedure:
Informal
The individual who has identified an activity by a member that appears to be in contravention of the Code may:
- Advise the member that their behaviour or activity contravenes the Code;
- Encourage the member to stop the prohibited behaviour or activity;
- If applicable, confirm to the member satisfaction or dissatisfaction with his or her response to the concern identified;
- Keep a written record of the incidents including steps taken to resolve the matter;
- If not satisfied with the response received through the informal process, an individual may proceed with a formal complaint.
- This process can be visually explained by viewing the Informal Complaint Process diagram.
Formal
- The complaint must include an explanation as to why the issue raised may be a contravention of the Code and any evidence in support of the allegation must be included;
- Any witnesses in support of the allegation must be identified;
- The Formal Complaint Form/Affidavit must include the name of the member alleged to have breached the Code, the section of the Code allegedly contravened, the date, time and location of the alleged contravention and any other information as required on the Complaint Form/Affidavit;
- The complaint shall be filed with the City Clerk who shall forward the complaint to the Integrity Commissioner who will determine whether the matter is, on its face, a complaint with respect to non compliance with the Code and not covered by other legislation or policies; and
- The Integrity Commissioner may request additional information from the complainant.
- This process can be visually explained by viewing the Formal Complaint Process diagram.
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