(Photo: TDCB)
Moncton City Council has rejected hiring an integrity commissioner to investigate code of conduct or conflict of interest complaints against elected officials.
The vote was 5-5 and the tie defeated a motion to hire a firm for about $20,000 plus expenses based on 25 labour hours per year.
Mayor Dawn Arnold believes an integrity commissioner is needed even if it’s just to seek advice about various issues.
“You know… how do we deal with this, either it’s behavioural or just integrity related, it’s just helpful to have that. It’s very tough for staff to have to discipline an elected official, it’s very, very difficult,” Arnold says.
Councillor Paul Pellerin doesn’t think the city needs an integrity commissioner.
“If we want to be open and transparent, we should be telling citizens everything that we are doing within the law up to and including if we are getting funds for upcoming elections,” he notes.
Pellerin was also opposed to the recommended firm from Ontario noting how we should be sourcing firms or individuals from this region.
