Creation of Independent Municipal Ethics Commissioner

Whereas the UBCM Working Group on Responsible Conduct has worked to support British Columbia local governments in addressing misconduct by elected officials and providing local governments with a set of fundamental principles which can be utilized to enact codes of conduct; And whereas smaller local governments in British Columbia do not have the financial resources to establish an independent and autonomous Ethics Commissioner to investigate and resolve allegations of misconduct; And whereas the current legislative framework available to small local governments in British Columbia regarding alleged breaches of code of conduct can result in expensive legal processes which may produce limited conclusions: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call upon the provincial government to immediately create an Independent Municipal Ethics Commissioner within the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to serve the public, elected officials and officers in an advisory, instructive and investigative role in the application and enforcement of codes of conduct.