Accountability and Transparency

Council Code of Conduct

 The Council Code of Conduct established under By-law 2843-2019-AP provides a framework for the conduct of Council members and addresses such matters as meeting conduct, confidential information, procurement of goods and services, incompatible activity, use of corporate resources during an election campaign, regard for the Human Rights Code, and their relationships with staff.

Filing a Complaint

Any person who believes that a member of Council is in contravention of the Code of Conduct may address their concerns in the following manner:

Informal Complaints

Informal complaints are a means of remedying the behaviour or activity believed to violate the Code of Conduct. The parties involved are encouraged to take advantage of the informal process as the first means of remedying behaviour or activity of a Member that they believe violates the Code of Conduct. 

If any person is not satisfied with the response received through the aforementioned informal process, the person may proceed with a formal complaint.

Formal Complaints

Please refer to the complaint procedure for details on the treatment of formal complaints. Formal complaints should be submitted on the established complaint form as outlined in the Complaint Procedure. 

Related Policies

A framework for actions and decision making in local government:

• Public Engagement Charter
• Social Media Policy
• Council Staff Relations

Integrity Commissioner

The Integrity Commissioner is responsible for performing in an independent manner the following functions as assigned by the Township with respect to:

• the application of the Code of Conduct; 

• the application of any procedures, rules and policies of the Township  governing the ethical behaviour of members; and

• without limiting the generality of the foregoing, shall be entitled to undertake investigations or not undertake investigations in accordance with provisions of Part V.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001.

In addition, the Integrity Commissioner shall also provide:

• information to Council as to members' obligations under the Code of Conduct and the Complaint Procedure;

• advice to individual members regarding specific situations as they relate to the application of the Code of Conduct;

• advice to Council on other policies and procedures that relate to the ethical behaviour of members;

• information to the public regarding the Code of Conduct and the obligations of members under the Code of Conduct.

Principles Integrity Contact Information:

Jeffrey A. Abrams 
Administrative Office Address: 30 Haddon Street, Toronto ON M5M 3M9
E-mail: postoffice@principlesintegrity.org
Telephone: 647-259-8697

Ombudsman

The Office of the Ontario Ombudsman serves as an objective office, at arm's length from Council and the Administration, and will independently receive, review, and investigate complaints once all internal complaint processes have been exhausted.

You should only file a complaint with the Ombudsman if you have tried all other methods to resolve the issue. To file a complaint, please submit a completed Ombudsman Complaint form.

On the form, you will need to:

• Provide a summary of your complaint
• Describe the steps taken to resolve the complaint
• Suggest ways to resolve the complaint
• Supporting documentation, as needed

Any recommendation made by the Ombudsman is not binding.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Municipal Ombudsman provides the following services:

• Review complaints about acts, decisions or recommendations done or omitted by the administration of the municipality
• Maintain confidentiality of complaints and matters related to an investigation
• Act at an arm's length from Council
• Provide an annual report summarizing number and types of complaints received by the Ombudsman

The Municipal Ombudsman has the right not to investigate the following types of complaints:

• Complaints considered to be trivial, frivolous, vexatious or not made in good faith
• The person complaining does not have a sufficient personal interest in the matter
• There are other ways available to resolve the issue

Closed Meeting Investigator 

Transparency and accountability is important to the Township of Brock. According to section 239 of the Municipal Act, the Township of Brock's Council, committees and boards can hold closed meetings to discuss certain topics.

Request an Investigation

Any person or corporation may request an investigation into whether or not the closed meeting rules were met during a closed meeting. If you would like to investigate a closed meeting, you must submit a written request, identify how the closed meeting failed to meet the requirements within the Municipal Act and/or Procedural Bylaw to the municipal office along with a fee:

Address to the Municipal Clerk via email to clerks@brock.ca or by mail to 1 Cameron St. E., PO Box 10, Cannington, ON

All complaints shall be reported within six months of the alleged violation.

We will contact our closed meeting investigator, Local Authority Services Limited (LAS). They will then investigate the closed meeting to ensure that the Township followed the rules outlined in the Municipal Act.

Closed Meeting Rules

Section 239 of the Municipal Act provides a list of acceptable reasons to hold a closed meeting, this includes, but is not limited to, the following discussion topics:

• The security of municipal or local board property
• Personal information about an identifiable individual, including employees
• Proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land
• Labour relations or employee negotiations
• Litigation or potential litigation that affects the municipality
• Advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications for that purpose
• A reason to hold a closed meeting found in another Act
• Consideration of a request under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
• Information provided in confidence to the municipality by Canada or a province or territory

Procurement of Goods and Services