|  At any level of government, the public’s perception of ethical government decision-making is critical to its reputation and to the level of public trust and engagement. This perception shapes the public’s opinion about government officials’ personal integrity, honesty and ultimately, the government’s performance. It can overshadow all other values of a government organization, including competence, experience and expertise.
Elected officials are trustees for the public and there is an expectation that they:
• Act with fairness toward all;
• Avoid any interest or activity which is in financial and personal conflict with official duties;
• Responsibly oversee the management of the public purse with the understanding that all monies held by the municipality are for the delivery of official duties regarding City business;
• Facilitate complete, timely and understandable answers to public inquiries.
It is for the above-noted reasons, that the Accountability and Transparency Committee of the City of Vaughan tasked the Office of the Integrity Commissioner with the development of an updated Code of Ethical Conduct for Members of Council. A Code of Ethical Conduct provides some very important functions, including the following:
- It is an externalized recognition of a common understanding by the Members of Council that ethical behavior is expected by all of its members;
- It serves as a guide and reminder of expectations for behaviour and actions for specific and generalized situations;
- It is an indication to the public that Members of Council are seriously committed to being held accountable for the responsible and ethical conduct of its members;
- It provides a tool to evaluate and strengthen support for doing ‘the right thing.’
Code of Ethical Conduct for Members of Council
The primary objective of the Office of the Integrity Commissioner is to guide Members of Council on the requirements and prohibitions contained in the Code of Ethical Conduct with a view to preventing ethics violations before they occur.
To this end, the Code of Ethical Conduct states that at the beginning of each term of office, returning and new Members of Council will be expected to meet with the Integrity Commissioner to discuss their obligations under the Code of Ethical Conduct.
Suzanne Craig
Integrity Commissioner
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Notice of Collection: Notice to people writing to the City of Vaughan -- The Municipal Code authorizes the City of Vaughan to collect personal information in any communication with City Council or its committees. The City collects this information to enable it to make informed decisions on the relevant issue(s). If you are submitting letters, faxes, e-mails, presentations or other communications to the City, you should be aware that your name and the fact that you communicated with the City will become part of the public record. The City also makes your communication and any personal information in it – such as your postal address, telephone number or e-mail address –available to the public. If there is a health and/or public safety reason, you may expressly request the City not make your postal address, telephone number or e-mail address available to the public. |
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