A bylaw on a code of conduct for elected officials was tabled at last night's (August 21) City Council meeting until a legal review could be done on the code of conduct by the City's lawyers.

At a Council meeting on June 19, the bylaw was brought forward. Since the Code of Conduct would be applied to volunteer members of the City's boards, committees and commissions, Council thought that it would be best to get feedback before passing the bylaw.

At last night's meeting, City Clerk Sharon Pollyck informed council that they had solicited feedback through a survey tool. Fourteen volunteer members opened the survey, and four provided feedback.

Councillor Allen Hunter once again expressed concerns that the Code of Conduct before Council was problematic and could limit the democratic process of debate and free speech. Mayor Peter Brown also expressed concerns about the Code of Conduct, worrying that the current draft went too far and could potentially limit a Councillor's ability to speak freely without fear of reprisals. Councillor Hunter also expressed worry that the document had not undergone any sort of legal review, and said he would be consulting a local lawyer to look at the legality of the Code of Conduct.

Councillor Ron Chapman said that while he had intended to support the bylaw, points made by Councillor Hunter had given him pause and he would need more time to decide if he did support the bylaw fully.

Councillor Fred Burley, who expressed his support of the Code of Conduct, made a motion to table the bylaw until it could undergo a legal review, stating that his desire was to see consensus on the issue. The bill was tabled after a unanimous vote.

 

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Council Tables Code of Conduct

 

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