TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL CODE OF CONDUCT
A comprehensive policy document outlining the ethical framework, foundational principles, and standards of responsible conduct for Council and Advisory Body Members.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL CODE OF CONDUCT
1) PURPOSE:
The purpose of this Policy is to promote ethical decision making and behaviour among Council Members, Advisory Body Members, and Staff in carrying out their functions. It is intended to encourage the highest level of professionalism and performance of duties in a manner that maintains and enhances public confidence and trust in the integrity, objectivity, and impartiality of decision making at the Town of View Royal.
2) SCOPE:
Council Members, Advisory Body Members
3) DEFINITIONS:
Advisory Body Member: a person sitting on an advisory committee, task force, commission, board, or other Council-established body.
Chief Administrative Officer: means Chief Administrative Officer or designate.
Confidential Information: is information that could reasonably harm the interest of individuals or organizations, including the Town of View Royal, if disclosed to persons who are not authorized to access the information, as well as information to which section 117 of the Community Charter applies.
Council Member: the Mayor and each Councillor of the Town of View Royal.
Member: includes Advisory Body Member or Council Member.
Staff: an employee or contract employee of the Town of View Royal, and includes staff that supports Advisory Bodies.
4) FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT:
Integrity – means being honest and demonstrating strong ethical principles. Conduct under this principle upholds the public interest, is truthful and honourable, and promotes public confidence in local government.
Respect – means behaving and conducting oneself with politeness, honour, and care; having due regard for others’ perspectives, wishes, and rights; it also means displaying deference to the offices of local government, and the role of local government in community decision making. Conduct under this principle is demonstrated when a member fosters an environment of trust by demonstrating due regard for the perspectives, wishes, and rights of others and an understanding of the role of the local government.
Accountability – means an obligation and willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. Conduct under this principle is demonstrated when a member individually and collectively accepts responsibility for their actions and decisions.
Leadership and Collaboration – means an ability to lead, listen to, and positively influence others; it also means coming together to create or meet a common goal through collective efforts. Conduct under this principle is demonstrated when a member encourages individuals to work together in pursuit of collective objectives by leading, listening to, and positively influencing others.
Openness - means to be as open as possible about their decisions and actions. This means communicating appropriate information openly to the public about decision-making processes and issues being considered; encouraging appropriate public participation; communicating clearly; and providing appropriate means for recourse and feedback.
5) COMMITMENT TO RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT:
(a) Members recognize that Responsible Conduct is essential to providing good governance.
(b) Members acknowledge that Responsible Conduct is based upon five foundational principles: Integrity, Respect, Accountability, and Leadership and Collaboration Openness to which the Town and Council Members individually and collectively subscribe.
(c) Council Members expressly acknowledge that they are individually and collectively committed to conducting themselves in a responsible and ethical manner and are furthermore committed to upholding the law as they exercise their authority, fulfill their obligations, discharge their duties, and in all of their dealings, with every person, including their elected colleagues, Staff, members of the public, the media, and other community and local government stakeholders.
6) PRINCIPLES:
(a) All Council Members have a duty to act and comport themselves in accordance with the law, including, but not limited to, the common law, the Local Government Act, Community Charter, Workers' Compensation Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and Human Rights Code, and any applicable federal legislation.
(b) The Town and its Council are recognized under the Community Charter as a democratically elected, autonomous, responsible, and accountable order of government within their jurisdiction for the purpose of: (i) providing good government for its community; (ii) providing services and other things Council considers are necessary or desirable for all or part of its community; (iii) providing for stewardship of the public assets of its community, and (iv) fostering the current and future economic, social, and environmental well-being of its community.
(c) Members will respect the Town as an institution, its bylaws, policies, and procedures and will encourage public respect for same.
(d) Council Members must not encourage, permit or accept disobedience of any bylaw, policy, or procedure of the Municipality in responding to a member of the public, as this undermines public confidence in the Town and in the rule of law.
(e) Council Members have the legislated authority to make decisions that affect the daily lives of its residents, families, businesses, and other community stakeholders.
(f) Council Members also have the authority to establish, or help establish, the long-term vision for the communities they serve based upon community and citizen engagement, collaboration, and informed decision making.
7) STANDARDS OF RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT:
Council Members will demonstrate and abide by the Standards of Responsible Conduct set out below.
(a) Integrity is demonstrated by the following behaviours and Members will: (i) be truthful and honest in all matters and in all dealings with their elected colleagues, Staff, members of the public, other community and local government stakeholders, the media, and through social media in their role as a representative of the Town; (ii) ensure their actions are consistent with the shared principles and values collectively agreed to by the Town; (iii) follow through on their commitments in a timely manner; (iv) correct errors in a timely, transparent, and reasonable manner; (v) engage in respectful communication, dialogue, and debate in all matters and in all dealings at all times; (vi) make informed and well-reasoned decisions by directing their minds to the merits of the matter before them for consideration, ensuring that they act on the basis of relevant information, legal implications, and in consideration of the consequences of their decisions; (vii) conduct and comport themselves in a manner that promotes and inspires public confidence and trust in local government and in all of their dealings as a local government official and representative; (viii) conduct and comport themselves in a manner which avoids any perception of pecuniary or non-pecuniary conflict of interest, improper use of office, or other unethical or illegal conduct; (ix) conduct and comport themselves in a manner which upholds the public interest by diligently serving citizens and communities within their sphere of influence in a manner which best serves the communities' interests and not their own, or the interests of a select few; (x) conduct and comport themselves in a manner that is consistent, fair, non-prejudicial, non-discriminatory, and unbiased in all their dealings as a local government official and representative;
(b) Respect is demonstrated by the following behaviours and Members will: (i) treat every person with dignity, understanding, courtesy, politeness, civility, and respect irrespective of differences of opinion, perspectives, beliefs, traditions, or values; (ii) respect the role of the Chair or Presiding Official and treat that person with respect and deference at all times; (iii) abide by the rules of procedure adopted by the Town; (iv) respect the distinct roles and responsibilities of Town Staff and commit to fostering a positive working relationship between Members, Staff, members of the public, and other community and local government stakeholders; (v) refrain from publicly criticizing a member of Staff; (vi) call for, and expect that respect be shown to Members, Staff, and members of the public by other citizens, and other community and local government stakeholders; (vii) value the role of diverse perspectives and show due consideration for every person's contributions by listening actively and respectfully to another person's perspective or point of view during discussion, debate, collaboration and decision making; (viii) demonstrate awareness of their own conduct and behaviour, and manage and adjust their conduct and behaviour accordingly and as circumstances warrant; (ix) create an environment of trust, consider and be sensitive to how their choice of words, tone, conduct, and behaviour can be perceived by others as offensive, rude, derogatory, disrespectful, discriminatory, harassing, bullying, aggressive, combative, insulting, inflammatory, or otherwise hurtful or inappropriate; and (x) not engage in conduct or behaviour that is or ought to be known to be indecent, obscene, insulting, abusive, or otherwise unbefitting of a Member and Town representative. This conduct or behaviour includes, but is not limited to, unwanted physical or sexual contact or comments, and/or any form of aggressive or threatening conduct or behaviour that may or ought to be known to cause harm to any person or which makes a person feel threatened, humiliated, or intimidated.
(c) Accountability is demonstrated by the following behaviours and Members will: (i) be responsible for and accept responsibility for decisions they make as an elected official or representative of the Town; (ii) be accountable for their individual actions and for the actions of the collective governing body; (iii) actively listen to and consider the opinions, viewpoints, and needs of the community in all decision-making, and allow for meaningful and appropriate opportunities for citizen and community input, engagement, discourse, and feedback; (iv) carry out their business, duties, and responsibilities in an open and transparent manner, ensuring that the public understands the process and rationale used to reach informed decisions and the reasons and justifications for taking certain actions; and (v) ensure that information is accessible to the extent possible under law, while also protecting privacy and confidentiality where appropriate, necessary, or in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act of British Columbia, and the confidentiality provisions of the Local Government Act and Community Charter.
(d) Leadership and Collaboration is demonstrated by the following behaviours and Members will: (i) proactively and routinely monitor and measure their performance to ensure the foundational principles with respect to Responsible Conduct are being followed by all Members and the collective governing body; (ii) behave in a manner that instills and builds public trust and confidence in local government; (iii) recognize that vigorous discourse and deliberation on a matter is integral to the democratic process and will encourage healthy, respectful and constructive debate prior to making a decision with respect to a matter; (iv) make decisions collaboratively as a collective governing body; (v) actively participate in debate about the merits of the matter before them; (vi) without restricting Council’s authority to reconsider a matter, accept, respect and work towards implementation of Council’s decisions; (vii) as leaders of their communities, face challenges, obstacles, controversy, and adversity calmly, respectfully, diplomatically, professionally, and with due consideration while endeavoring to find effective and appropriate solutions through clear direction to Staff, and to empower each other and Staff to face challenges, obstacles, controversy, and adversity in the same manner; and (viii) recognize and value the distinct roles and responsibilities that others play in providing good governance and commit to fostering a positive working relationship between Members, Advisory Body Members, staff, members of the public, the media, and community and other local government stakeholders.
(e) For examples of what constitutes unacceptable conduct in which Members must not engage and if so engaged will be considered a violation of this Policy, see Schedule “A”.
8) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:
(a) Council Members have a statutory duty to comply with the conflict of interest provisions as set out in the Community Charter.
(b) Council Members may request that the Chief Administrative Officer seek a legal opinion from the Town Solicitor with respect to situations that may result in a real or perceived conflict of interest.
(c) Council Members are to be free from undue influence and not act or appear to act to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, family, friends, or associates, business or otherwise.
(d) Council Members must approach decision-making with an open mind that is capable of persuasion.
9) USE OF TOWN PROPERTY, ASSETS, AND PREMISES:
(a) Council Members must not make unauthorized use of any Town property, assets, or other resources for personal reasons. In addition, Members must ensure that any property (including cash, cheques, documents, inventories, and equipment) in their care is properly secured and protected at all times. This responsibility extends to the use and security of any corporate credit or access code cards.
(b) Council Members must use municipal property, equipment, services, supplies, and Staff resources only for the performance of their duties as a Member, subject to the following limited exceptions: (i) municipal property, equipment, service, supplies, and Staff resources that are available to the general public may be used by a Member for personal use upon the same terms and conditions as members of the general public, including booking and payment of any applicable fees or charges; and (ii) electronic communication devices, including but not limited to desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, which are supplied by the Town to a Member, may be used by the Member for limited personal use, provided that the use is strictly personal and not offensive, inappropriate, or for personal gain and complies with any applicable Town bylaw, policy, procedure, or direction, which may be amended from time to time.
10) CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION:
(a) Council Members must not use or disclose any confidential information acquired in the course of the Member’s duties with the Town, unless to do so is in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. For example, Members must keep the following information confidential: (i) information that is personal; (ii) information that constitutes the proprietary information of a third party, individual, or group; (ii) information that might reasonably be regarded as having been disclosed to the Member in confidence; (iii) information is of a sensitive nature; and (iv) information that imparts to the person in possession of such information an advantage not available to the public generally.
(b) Council Members must: (i) only access information needed for Town business and as it relates to their work as Member; (ii) only use confidential information for the purpose for which it is intended to be collected and used; (iii) refrain from discussing or disclosing any confidential information with or to other Staff or with persons outside the organization except as authorized; (iv) not disclose any detail on Council's closed deliberations or specific detail on whether an individual Member voted for or against an issue; and (v) not disclose any information regarding complaints, including, but not limited to, the names of the complainant, the respondent, and any witnesses.
11) REPORTING, RECORDING AND RETAINING INFORMATION:
(a) It is every Member’s responsibility to ensure that all information collected, produced, or obtained in the course of his or her duties, whether written, oral, or in electronic format, is as accurate as possible. No Member will willfully mislead Staff, other Members, or the public about any issue of Town concern.
(b) If a Member believes that someone may have misunderstood them, they must promptly correct the misunderstanding. Reporting inaccurate or incomplete information or reporting information in a way that is intended to mislead or misinform those who receive it, is strictly prohibited and could lead to serious consequences including disciplinary action.
(c) Examples of dishonest reporting include, but are not limited to the following: (i) submitting an expense account for reimbursement of business expenses not actually incurred, or misrepresenting the nature or amount of expenses claimed; (ii) providing inaccurate or incomplete information to Town management or Staff during an internal investigation, audit, or other review, or to organizations and people outside the Town, such as external auditors; (iii) making false or misleading statements in any reports or other documents submitted to or maintained for government agencies; (iv) failing to provide and/or destroying relevant records when requested to provide such records for the Town to respond to a request for records made under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; and (v) providing or communicating false or misleading information.
(d) All Members will work in accordance with both the Town controls established to prevent fraudulent misconduct and all applicable laws, regulations, and government guidelines.
(e) All incidents of fraud or theft committed against the Town will be taken seriously and may be viewed as acts of criminal activity and treated accordingly.
12) USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA:
(a) Council Members must not purport to speak on behalf of the Town or unless expressly authorized to do so.
(b) Council Members will use caution in reporting Council decision-making by way of their social media profiles and websites ensuring that any material they publish is accurate, precise, and communicates the intent of Council.
(c) When speaking for themselves as individual Councillors on social media or to the press, a Councillor will include “in my opinion” or use a similar disclaimer to ensure it is expressly clear they are speaking for themselves and not the Town or Council as a whole.
(d) Council Members will refrain from using or permitting the use of their social media accounts for purposes that include: i) defamatory remarks, obscenities, profane language, or sexual content; ii) negative statements disparaging other members of Council; iii) negative statements disparaging Staff or calling into question the professional capabilities of Staff; iv) content that endorses, promotes, or perpetuates discrimination or mistreatment on the basis of race, religion or belief, age, gender, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation; v) statements that indicate a closed-mind in relation to a matter that is to be the subject of a statutory or other public hearing; vi) promotion of illegal activity; or, vii) information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems.
(e) Council Members must regularly monitor their social media accounts and immediately take measures to deal with the publication of messages or postings by others that violate the terms of this Code of Conduct.
13) INFORMAL COMPLAINT PROCEDURE:
(a) Any Member who has identified or witnessed conduct by a Member that the Member reasonably believes, in good faith, is in contravention of this Policy may address the prohibited conduct by: (i) advising the Member that the conduct violates this Policy and ask/encourage the Member to stop; or (ii) requesting the Mayor to assist in informal discussion of the alleged complaint with the Member in an attempt to resolve the issue. In the event the Mayor is the subject of, or is implicated in a complaint, the Member may request the assistance of the Acting Mayor.
(b) Individuals are encouraged to pursue this informal complaint procedure as the first means of remedying conduct that they believe violates this Policy; however, a Member is not required to complete this informal complaint procedure prior to pursuing the formal complaint procedure outlined below.
14) FORMAL COMPLAINT PROCEDURE:
(a) Any Member who has identified or witnessed conduct by a Member that the person reasonably believes, in good faith, is in contravention of this Policy may file a formal complaint in accordance with the following procedure: (i) All complaints will be addressed to the Chief Administrative Officer who may, subject to any other section in this part, determine if an investigation is required and appoint a third party investigator as required. (ii) Incidents or complaints must be reported as soon as possible after experiencing or witnessing an incident. This allows the incident to be investigated and addressed promptly. (ii) All complaints must be made in writing and must be dated and signed by the Member making the complaint. (iv) The complainant must set out a detailed description of the facts as they are known resulting in the allegation that the respondent Member has contravened this Policy. The description may include the names of people involved, witnesses, where and when the incidents occurred, and what behaviour led to the complaint. Supporting documents such as, but not limited to emails, handwritten notes, or photographs must be attached. If possible, include the impact of the behaviour complained of on the complainant and/or others, as well as any steps that may already have been taken under the informal complaint procedure and the outcome of those steps. (v) Upon receipt of a complaint under this Policy, the Chief Administrative Officer must review the complaint, including any initial response by the Member who is the subject of the complaint, and exercise their discretion to conclude if an investigation is required and appoint a neutral third-party to investigate the complaint, or dismiss the complaint if it would not constitute a violation of this Policy. (vi) The Member alleged to have breached this Policy is entitled to receive a copy of the complainant’s name and information on the particulars of the complaint and must be given the opportunity to provide an initial response to the complaint prior to the making of a decision on whether or not to investigate under this section. (vii) If the Chief Administrative Officer decides not to arrange an investigation, they will inform the complainant in writing of the reasons. (viii) If an investigation is determined necessary, the procedures are outlined below: (1) The Chief Administrative Officer will retain a neutral third party investigator. (2) In cases involving a Member as respondent, the Chief Administrative Officer or the investigator will report directly to the Mayor. (3) In cases involving the Mayor as respondent, the Chief Administrative Officer or the investigator will report directly to the Acting Mayor. (4) In cases involving both the Mayor and Acting Mayor, the Chief Administrative Officer must report to the rest of Council. (ix) An investigation will be conducted as quickly as possible to determine the facts of the situation with the utmost confidentiality of the process, investigation, and resulting discussion with Council being maintained throughout. (x) The Chief Administrative Officer or the investigator will review all relevant documents and conduct interviews with the complainant, the respondent, and any witnesses that may have relevant information. (xi) Each party has the right to be accompanied by legal counsel. All participants will be asked and expected to maintain confidentiality and sign off accordingly. (xii) The investigation will normally commence within two (2) weeks of the filing of the complaint and be completed within thirty (30) business days following such time. Completion time may be reasonably extended beyond those timelines to ensure a thorough investigation has been conducted. (xiii) Following the completion of the investigation, the investigator will provide a written report of the results of the investigation to the instructing individual (Mayor, Acting Mayor, or their designate) for Council’s consideration. (xiv) The instructing individual (Mayor, Acting Mayor, or their designate) will provide a copy of the report to Council and the respondent Member who is the subject of the complaint. (xv) Determining culpability and possible sanction will be the sole responsibility of Council. (xvi) A Member who is the subject of a complaint and investigation under this Policy must be afforded procedural fairness, including an opportunity to respond to the conclusions of the investigation report before Council deliberates and makes any decision on culpability or any sanction is considered and imposed. (xvii) A Member who is the subject of a complaint and investigation is entitled to retain, be advised, and be represented by legal counsel during the investigation stage and at the Council meeting where any decision on culpability is to be made or any sanction is considered and imposed. (xviii) Subject to paragraph (xix) below, the Town will reimburse the reasonable costs for each respondent Member’s legal representation under this Section after Council concludes its deliberations and makes a decision under paragraph (xvi) above unless Council determines that the Member engaged in dishonest, grossly negligent, or malicious conduct. (xix) Despite paragraph (xviii), Council may, by resolution, approve interim funding for a respondent Member’s legal representation under this Section subject to the respondent Member’s written agreement to repay such funding if, after Council concludes its deliberations and makes a decision under paragraph (xvi) above, Council determines that the Member engaged in dishonest, grossly negligent, or malicious conduct.
15) REMEDIES:
(a) Sanctions that may be imposed on a Member, by Council, upon a finding that the Member has breached this Policy may include: (i) a letter of reprimand addressed to the Member; (ii) a request that the Member issue a letter of apology to the affected individual(s); (iii) the publication of a letter of reprimand or letter of apology and the Member's response; (iv) a requirement to attend remedial education and training; (v) re-orientation to this Policy and its purpose; (vi) suspension or removal of the appointment of a Council Member as the Acting Mayor; (vii) suspension or removal from some or all internal and external Council committees and bodies to which Council has the right to appoint members; (viii) restricting the Council Member from attending events as a representative of Council; (ix) imposing further limits related travel or expenses beyond those set out in the Town’s corporate policies; (x) requiring the return of Town property provided for convenience; (xi) limiting access to certain Town facilities; (xii) restricting how documents are provided to the Member; and (xiii) any other sanction Council deems reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances, provided that the sanction does not prevent a Council Member from fulfilling the legislated duties of a Council Member and the sanction is not contrary to provincial legislation.
16) NO REPRISAL OR RETALIATION:
(a) The Council and the Town will not tolerate threats or acts of reprisal or retaliation against any complainant, witness, respondent, or employee of the Town responsible for implementing and carrying out the objectives or requirements of this Policy and procedure, who in good faith: (i) makes a complaint under this Policy; (ii) identifies or opposes a practice or conduct that they reasonably believe to constitute a violation of this Policy; and (iii) implements or participates in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing of any kind under this Policy.
(b) Members must not take or threaten to take any act of reprisal or retaliation against any complainant, witness, respondent, or employee of the Town, or any other person responsible for implementing and carrying out the objectives or requirements of this Policy and procedure in good faith.
(c) Any individual covered by this Policy who is found to have engaged in any reprisal or retaliation in violation of this Policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, which action may include, and is not limited to, the sanctions and remedies described above.
Attachments: Schedule A: Examples of Unacceptable Conduct
Other Related Legislation: Community Charter Section 105 Restrictions on Accepting Gifts Section 106 Disclosure of Gifts
Other Related Policies: 0100-038 Media Communications Policy 0500-034 Council-Staff Communications Policy 0500-009 Reports to Council Policy 1600-021 Purchasing Policy 2600-037 Employees Workplace Bullying and Harassment Policy
SCHEDULE “A”
Examples of Unacceptable Conduct
1. Meeting Conduct, Rules of Order and Procedural Matters
(a) Failing to abide by the Town’s Procedure Bylaw; (b) Failing to respect the role of the Chair or Presiding Official at meetings; (c) Failing to respect due process and procedural fairness; (d) Unfair or disrespectful treatment of persons or delegations appearing before Council; (e) Disrespectful or disruptive behaviour during a meeting which results in being called out of order by the Chair or Presiding Official; (f) Expulsion from a meeting; and (g) Behaviour which undermines the free exchange of ideas and which stifles or inhibits healthy debate.
2. Integrity
(a) Abuse of authority or trust; (b) Failure to act in the public interest; (c) Showing favouritism, bias or nepotism towards any person, vendor, contractor, business, family member, or to others doing business with the Town; (d) Dishonesty; (e) Obstructing an investigation into a matter; (f) Obstructing Staff from undertaking their duties; (g) Harassment; (h) Sexual harassment; (i) Discrimination; (j) Bullying; (k) Intimidation; (l) Coercion; (m) Extortion; (n) Uttering threats; (o) Assault; (p) Accepting a bribe; (q) Disrespecting the viewpoints of others during discussion on a matter; (r) Failing to keep an open mind during debate on a matter; (s) Damaging the reputation and/or credibility of the Town by words, actions, and/or irresponsible conduct; and (t) Acting in an official capacity while intoxicated.
3. Communication, Interpersonal Relations, Council and Staff Relations
(a) Use of disrespectful, derogatory, demeaning, defamatory, discriminatory, intolerant or offensive language at any time, and on any communication platform, including social media as a representative of the Town; (b) Failing to treat any person with respect, courtesy, tolerance, acceptance, and/or dignity; (c) Disrespecting the role of the Chief Administrative Officer, Senior Staff, Staff, and/or Town Consultants; (d) Failing to respect the various roles and responsibilities which are inherent to informed local government decision-making; (e) Publicly criticizing or chastising a Member, Staff or Town Consultant; (f) Interfering with the administrative corporate or operational functions of the Town; (g) Failure to observe established protocols with respect to tasking or otherwise directing Staff.
4. Confidentiality and Data Security
(a) Intentionally accessing unauthorized information, records, or data on Town devices; (b) Unauthorized disclosure of confidential or personal information to a third party; (c) Intentionally breaching the Town’s network and/or data security systems; (d) Intentionally leaking confidential information to any party including but not limited to the media or other local government stakeholders; (e) Fraud; (f) Theft of Town resources and/or assets; and (g) Criminal Code of Canada conviction while in office.
5. Retaliation
(a) Retaliation or retribution towards any person who in good faith has reported a suspected contravention of the Town’s Code of Conduct; (b) Retaliation or retribution towards any person who in good faith has reported a suspected contravention of the Town’s Workplace Bullying and Harassment Policy. (c) Retaliation or retribution towards any person who in good faith has reported a suspected contravention of the Criminal Code of Canada or other federal, provincial, or local government statute, regulation, or enactment.
6. Conflict of Interest
(a) Failure to abide by Conflict of Interest rules in the Community Charter and Local Government Act; (b) Failure to disclose conflict of interest; (c) Participation in meetings where a Member has a conflict of interest; (d) Use of office to influence a decision, recommendation, or other action where an elected official has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest; (e) Accepting unauthorized gifts; (f) Failure to disclose authorized gifts; and (g) Failure to disclose and report contracts entered into by the elected official or former elected official with the Town where the elected official or former elected official has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest.
7. Interference with Designated Decision Makers and/or Processes
(a) Interfering with, and/or failing to respect the role and authority of statutory and/or other designated decision makers: (i) Officer responsible for Corporate Administration; (ii) Officer responsible for Financial Administration; (iii) Head, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy; (iv) Chief Election Officer; (v) Building Officials; (vi) Bylaw Enforcement Officers; (vii) Approving Officer; and (ix) Others in statutory and/or designated decision-making roles. (b) Failing to abide by the Town’s Purchasing Policy.
8. Partisan Politics and Campaigning
(a) Engaging in partisan politics while undertaking Town business; (b) Use of Town resources, including the corporate logo, for campaign purposes; (c) Providing instruction to Town contractors, consultants or other service providers; (d) Speaking on behalf of Council when not authorized to do so; (e) Failing to uphold a decision, bylaw, or policy of Council; and (g) Unauthorized use of Town Staff and/or other Town resources and assets.
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