Integrity Commissioner and Conflict of Interest Registry

On December 19th, 2022, the Municipality of North Perth Council appointed Guy W. Giorno as the Municipality's Integrity Commissioner for the period of January 1st, 2023 to December 31st, 2026.

The Integrity Commissioner is an independent and impartial position reporting directly to Council.

The Integrity Commissioner carries out the following core functions:

Advisory Role: The Integrity Commissioner provides confidential written and oral advice to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Councillors and Local Board and Committee appointees about their own situations respecting the Code of Conduct for Members of Council and Local Boards and Committees and other by-laws, policies and procedures governing ethical behavior, including general advice about the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. The Integrity Commissioner also provides opinions and reports to Council and Local Boards an Committees on issues of ethics and integrity.

Investigative Role: Complaints about breaches of the Code of Conduct are made to the Integrity Commissioner pursuant to the Council approved Complaint Protocol. Complaints can be dealt with through a formal or informal process. When carrying out a formal complaint investigation, the Commissioner can summon evidence and examine witnesses under oath.

Should the Integrity Commissioner find a contravention, he can recommend various penalties for imposition by Council. The available penalties range from suspension of remuneration to a reprimand or apology.

Education Role: The Integrity Commissioner is responsible for providing educational programs to members of Council and Local Boards.

Informal Complaint Procedure

The informal complaint procedure allows the Integrity Commissioner to have an informal discussion with the Member of Council to resolve the issue. If the Integrity Commissioner determines the complaint is legitimate and the code has been violated, the informal process begins. This procedure involves:

advising the Council Member that he or she has violated a section of the code
encouraging the Council Member to stop all actions or activities violating the code
keeping a written record of the incidents that occurred, including steps taken to resolve the matter
sharing the Integrity Commissioner's satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the Council Member’s response to the complaint identified

If an informal resolution is unsuccessful, a formal complaint process is followed.

Formal Complaint Procedure

Individuals who would like to make a formal complaint can do so by following the complaint protocol and submitting a signed Complaint Form Affidavit to the Office of the Municipal Clerk. Once submitted, it is filed with the Office of the Municipal Clerk and then forwarded to the Integrity Commissioner.

All formal complaints must be made using the Complaint Form Affidavit.
All names of the complainant and alleged Council Member(s) must be provided.
An explanation outlining the alleged violation is required.
Any witnesses or evidence in support of a complaint is required.

The Integrity Commissioner will determine if the complaint violates the code and may request additional information. The elected official is then given a copy of the complaint and asked to respond in writing, with a copy of this response provided to the complainant. The process can include an interview between the complainant and Integrity Commissioner. Within 90 days of filing the complaint, the Integrity Commissioner will submit a report to Council detailing violations of the code and her recommendations. Once the report has been reviewed, Council will determine what actions will be taken.