City and town councils now controlled by a code of conduct, policed by an integrity commissioner

New rules take effect today for city and town councils across Ontario.

They are all required to follow a code of conduct and hire an integrity commissioner to enforce it.

But there are fears this could be a change for the worse.

Some municipal leaders are concerned that this complaint process could be used as a "political weapon" to embarrass elected officials.  

"I mean that's absolutely possible," says Antoinette Blunt, the integrity commissioner for six municipalities in the northeast.

"But there's a process for looking into this. And it won't be a full-blown investigation if the matter doesn't have any merit."

Blunt, a human resources consultant based in Prince Township near Sault Ste. Marie, was hired by Sault city council as its integrity commissioner last year and has conducted two investigations so far.

Some are predicting a flood of complaints to come with the new law, to the point municipalities like Elliot Lake are already looking on how to save on the costs of these investigations, where integrity commissioners and staff are paid hundreds of dollars per hour. 

"I guess one could say in a perfect world if everyone behaved in a way that was ethical and respectful and abided by the codes of conduct, then there wouldn't be any work," says Blunt, who is also overseeing several small municipalities including Hilton Beach, Tarbutt, Laird and Jocelyn Township. 

Integrity commissioners can recommend that an elected official be docked pay or removed from office, but the final decision rests with the mayor and council. 

Espanola is one of the few places in the northeast where such a report has already had an impact. 

Last year, the integrity commissioner cited four town councillors for disrespectful comments towards staff and recommended they be disciplined.

Months later, it's still too sensitive for Espanola councillors to discuss with CBC.

Espanola was an early adopter, while other municipalities like Greater Sudbury hired an integrity commissioner earlier this year to prepare for the change in the law.

Some councils in the northeast just passed their codes of conduct this week, a few days ahead of the province's deadline.

North Bay city councillor Mark King was concerned about the code calling for a "team approach" at city hall. 

"It does create some animosity. I've seen some animosity at this table. And I don't necessarily think that's wrong," he told council. 

"I don't believe that a team approach means we always vote the same way," added city councillor Mike Anthony.