The proposal for a Hamilton Integrity Commissioner is currently in discussion at City Hall. A request to set aside one hundred thousand during this budget process has been requested. I believe this request is premature for the following reasons.  I support the idea of having proper checks and balances for Our City, but I do not want to add to the bureaucracy or further burden taxpayers.  I proposed either a centralized Integrity Commissioner model, where every municipality in the Association of Municipalities of Ontario have access to that office.  This system would be municipally funded, utilizing a per capita system and would offer the benefit of centralized resources and standardized responsibility through that office.

In Toronto, their part-time Integrity Commissioner has been paid $250,000 annually, and made twenty-one investigations in eighteen months, with only one finding.  I do not want Hamilton to put money into a system without understanding what the scope of the work, model, and costs will be.

I am very interested in hearing what you think of this matter.  Please use the comment function provided by this blog to leave messages and share your feelings, opinions, and knowledge.  Thank you.