Code of Conduct

Township Council has approved a Council Code of Conduct for Members of Council. The Code of Conduct is intended to demonstrate a commitment to the public that Members of Council will act with integrity, fairness, consistency, respect and within the law without prejudice or bias.

Integrity Commissioner

The Integrity Commissioner is an independent and impartial position that reports directly to Township Council and whose powers and duties are set out in the Municipal Act, 2001.

Responsibilities of the Integrity Commissioner

Investigate complaints and alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct for Members of Council.
Review the Code of Conduct for Members of Council and make recommendations on an annual basis.
Serve as an advisor to individual Members of Council in relation to the Code of Conduct and any procedures, rules and policies of the municipality governing ethical behaviour, and act as a proactive educator for Council, the administration and the public.
Provide reports to Council, summarizing their activities.
Provide individual investigative reports, as required, which will include background concerning a complaint and recommendations to Municipal Council with respect to a complaint.

Filing a Complaint with the Integrity Commissioner

Any formal complaints against any Member of Council under the Township's Code of Conduct will be investigated by the Township's Integrity Commissioner, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP.

Filing a Code of Conduct Complaint

If you believe a Member of Council convened the Code of Conduct then you can submit a Code of Conduct Formal Complaint Form to either the Township's Integrity Commissioner, or to the Township Clerk. The Complaint Form must be commissioned by a Commissioner of Oath prior to submission and a $25 fee is required, payable to the Township of North Dumfries.

Once the complaint has been submitted, the Integrity Commissioner will investigate. The Integrity Commissioner will either decide to close the file if they believe no contravention has been made, or prepare a report with their recommendations that will be included on a future open session Council agenda. The Integrity Commissioner can only make recommendations and Township Council can determine whether they wish to impose any penalties against the Member of Council.

Filing a Municipal Conflict of Interest Act (MCIA) Complaint

If you believe a Member of Council failed to declare a pecuniary interest under MCIA then you can submit a MCIA Formal Complaint Form to either the Township's Integrity Commissioner, or to the Township Clerk. The Complaint Form must be commissioned by a Commissioner of Oath prior to submission. There is no fee to file the complaint.

Once the complaint has been submitted, the Integrity Commissioner will investigate. The Integrity Commissioner will either decide to close the file if they believe no contravention has been made, or prepare a report stating whether the matter should be taken to Court or not. The report will be included on a future open session Council agenda for Council’s information only. It is up to the complainant whether they wish to purse the matter further in Court.

Reports from the Integrity Commissioner

All reports received from the Integrity Commissioner shall be made publicly available, as per the Municipal Act, 2001, section 223.6(3).

Decisions on Investigations Conducted by the Integrity Commissioner

The Integrity Commissioner provides a report to the Township on whether a member of Council or local board has contravened the Township's Code of Conduct based on an investigation. The following reports have been received from the Township's Integrity Commissioner:

Township of North Dumfries
106 Earl Thompson Road,
3rd Floor, Ayr, Ontario
N0B 1E0
Mailing Address: P.O. Box
1060 Ayr, Ontario N0B 1E0
Telephone: 519-632-8800
Fax: 519-632-8700