By Pepper Parr
May 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Today, Ontario passed legislation to empower municipalities to be more open, accountable and flexible in responding to the needs of residents.
The Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act amends the Municipal Act, the City of Toronto Act and the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. The changes will:
A city council that has managed to operate without a Code of Conduct since they were elected in 2010
• Increase fairness and reduce barriers for women and parents elected to municipal governments and school boards by allowing time off for pregnancy or parental leave
• Provide broader municipal investment powers to eligible municipalities that may help raise more revenue to improve local infrastructure
• Enhance local government accountability and integrity across the province by requiring municipalities to have a code of conduct for members of municipal councils and local boards
• Ensure the public and municipal Councillors have access to integrity commissioners with a broadened role related to conflicts of interest and municipal codes of conduct.
Many of the changes being made with the passage of this legislation are based on feedback from municipalities, the public and other organizations during Municipal Legislation Review consultations in 2015.
Roll that tape back a bit – “Provide broader municipal investment powers to eligible municipalities that may help raise more revenue to improve local infrastructure” – that translates to them putting their hands even deeper into your pockets. Legislation from any level of government is not bed time reading – we will need a bit of time to download that document and see just what they are up to this time.
City manager James Ridge took on the task of coming up with a Code of Conduct for the members of council – hasn’t produced that document yet.
We also want to take a closer look at the changes made to the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act – Burlington has a specific interest in the way a conflict of interest is interpreted.
That bit about Councillors having “access to integrity commissioners with a broadened role related to conflicts of interest and municipal codes of conduct.” Burlington is still without a code of conduct for members of Council. That task is understood to be in the hands of the city manager.
