Just wanted to update you on the Integrity Commissioner issue.  Yesterday we created the “Accountability and Transparency Task Force” made up of the Mayor, four Councillors (one of which is myself), and four citizens from the Community to sit on the task force to make recommendations to City Council on the model to use for the Integrity Commissioner.

In 2004, I moved a motion calling on the province to mandate that all Councillors disclose their assets (similar to MPPs and MPs). This is a good step towards Accountability! I also suggested that the Province set-up a Municipal Integrity Commissioner to watch over all municipalities thus providing uniform rules across the province.

I made it absolutely clear yesterday, we need to be very careful on how we pursue this.  In Toronto, their Integrity Commissioner received 21 complaints over 16 months. In the same period it cost approx. $200,000 to maintain that office. That works out to over $9,000 per complaint. It’s important to note that just one of these was a justified complaint and two were settled according to the Commissioner click here for more information.  That being said, I will definitely engage this issue and listen to all sides.