In 2016, the Province of Ontario introduced Bill 68, Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act, 2017, that received Royal Assent on May 30, 2017. This legislation made amendments to various Acts, including the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended to require municipalities to establish Codes of Conduct for Members of the Council of the municipality and of its Local Boards.
Ontario Regulation 55/18 provides that the Codes of Conduct must contain the following:
- Gifts, benefits and hospitality;
- Respectful conduct, including conduct toward officers and employees of the municipality or the local board, as the case may be;
- Confidential information; and
- Use of property of the municipality or of the local board, as the case may be.
By-law 2019-007 establishes the Code of Conduct for Members of the Council of The Corporation of the Township of Gillies and of its Local Boards. Local Boards are defined under section 3.1 (k).
The Municipality has appointed an Integrity Commissioner whose duties include, among other things, conducting inquires in respect of alleged contraventions of the Code of Conduct and sections 5, 5.1 or 5.2 of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act (MCIA).
The Code of Conduct (section 17.1) prescribes that a complaint may be submitted to the Municipal Clerk which will be forwarded to the Municipality's Integrity Commissioner.
By-law 2019-007 Code of Conduct
By-law 2019-009 Establishing a protocol for an Integrity Commissioner