Whereas local governments in British Columbia are not currently required to adopt a code of conduct, and there remains no provincially mandated, independent mechanism to support local governments when ethical concerns are raised or standards are breached; And whereas many local governmentsparticularly smaller and rural municipalitiesare under-resourced and lack the capacity, independence, or specialized expertise to address conduct concerns without incurring significant financial and administrative burdens: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM requests that the Province of British Columbia establish an independent provincial office to support local governments in addressing ethical concerns and conduct breaches; And be it further resolved that this office be mandated to ensure minimum provincial standards, provide a consistent and impartial approach to complaint adjudication across jurisdictions, and reduce the need for resource-intensive local investigations, particularly in under-resourced communities.
