Integrity Commissioner

The Municipality of Hastings Highlands has appointed Mr. Tony Fleming of Cunningham Swan Carty Little and Bonham LLP as the Integrity Commissioner for the municipality and authorize him to conduct inquires upon complaint for rules governing ethical behaviour of members of Council as they pertain to the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and Code of Conduct.

The Integrity Commissioner’s responsibilities include:

Conduct inquiries upon complaint for Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and Code of Conduct matters
Provide advice to members of Council and local boards regarding their obligations under the Code of Conduct the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act
Provide educational information to the public, the municipality and members of Council and local boards about the Code of Conduct and Municipal Conflict of Interest Act

The duties and responsibilities of the Integrity Commissioner are further detailed in Section 223 of the Municipal Act, 2001. It is the responsibility of the Integrity Commissioner to report directly to Council.

Complaint Filing Process

Any individual who identifies or witnesses behaviour or activity by a Hastings Highlands Council Member or Committee Member that they believe is in contravention of the Code of Conduct for Members of Council and its Local Boards or the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act may file a formal complaint with the following conditions:

All complaints shall be in writing and shall be dated and signed by an identifiable individual using the Formal Municipal Integrity Commissioner Complaint Inquiry Form or the Application for Municipal Integrity Commissioner Investigation under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act Form.
The complaint must set out reasonable and probable grounds for the allegation that the Member has contravened the Code of Conduct or the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. A supporting sworn affidavit setting out the evidence in support of the allegation must also be included with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act application form.
The complaint shall be filed with the Municipal Clerk after paying an administrative prescribed non-refundable fee of $150.00 to the Municipality. The Clerk will then forward the matter to the Integrity Commissioner for initial classification to determine if the matter is, on its face, a complaint with respect to non-compliance.