Belleville council has unanimously supported a Hastings County resolution to update municipal Codes of Conduct
to allow for more serious penalties, including removal from council, for bullying or sexual misconduct by members of council.
The resolution calls for more training for Integrity Commissioners and a more flexible penalty regime including halting council members guilty of harassment or sexual abuse from running for election in the next term of council.
Nancy Cairns, a former Ottawa municipal employee involved with instances of harassment and abuse, told council that such behaviour is relatively common on local councils and the options for punishment are mild compared to other workplaces.
Councillor Garnet Thompson said that Integrity Commissioners and not councils should be allowed to set penalties for breaches of the Code of Conduct thereby taking “the politics out of it.”