(Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber Quinte News)
After much debate Prince Edward County has decided to bring in the big guns to handle formal complaints in the future.
Tuesday night, council gave the green light to appointing an integrity commissioner to come in, on an as needed basis.
An integrity commissioner is a neutral, independent officer appointed by the municipality that oversees compliance with high standards of conduct expected of elected and appointed officials.
Councillors Brad Nieman and Dianne O’Brien spoke out against hiring the commissioner saying tax payers shouldn’t have to foot the $200 to $500 hourly bill to have someone watch over them.
“We don’t need the tax payers to watch over us,” said O’Brien. “election day will tell the tale. We have a code of conduct that is enforceable.”
Mayor Robert Quaiff who suggested the idea of bringing an integrity commissioner in at the start of the new year said this practice is keeping in line with legislation and regardless of the cost, tax payers need to know this is in place.
“When I was at the Ontario Small Urban Municipalities conference in Goderich I was told that smart municipalities are doing exactly this,” explained Quaiff.
The update passed in a recorded vote 12-4.
