By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
Essex Council learned 2024 was a quiet year in terms of complaints lodged to the Integrity Commissioner.
Integrity Commissioner for the Town of Essex, Bruce Elman, presented his annual report for 2024 during the April 7 meeting.
“There was very little activity, and that is really good,” Elman told Council. “So, this is a positive development and pretty consistent with 2023, as well.”
Last year, Elman said he produced one letter of advice, but did not produce any primers, which provide guidance to members of Council and others to whom the Code of Conduct applies, so that they can avoid violations. He added there were three instances of brief advice that were provided.
When it comes to complaints, one was filed, Elman said. It was discontinued and no further action was taken.
There were also a few instances of brief service, as well.
The primary functions of an Integrity Commissioner are to provide education and training, advice to members of Council, investigate complaints, engage in complaint adjudication and resolution, and on occasion help to develop town policy when it comes to ethics and integrity, Elman outlined.
After the 2022 election, Elman spent time with Council members to go over the Code of Conduct Policy and the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. He hopes that training will be extended to members of the community who volunteer on town boards and committees in the future.
In preparation for the 2026 Municipal Election, Elman said there are certain ethical rules and principles that govern municipal elections and govern the conduct of Council members when seeking re-election. In the fall, he intends to speak to the Town Clerk and CAO to arrange time to present a training program for current Councillors intending to run for re-election, as the rules are quite strict.
In answering Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley’s question on the typical turnaround for Elman to respond to an email from a Council member, Elman said the turnaround time is dependent on the situation. If the issue is a drawn-out matter, for instance, it may take a longer period of time to provide advice.
Shepley also asked about the complaint, and wondered if the Council member who had the complaint issued against them is notified about it, in addition to the result of the investigation. Elman said that typically, when a complaint is made, he tries to gather particulars, and then connects with the member of Council who is the subject of the complaint.
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