New code of conduct for elected officials in N.S. a 'huge step forward,' says Cape Breton warden
Amanda Mombourquette was warden in 2022 when a complaint was lodged against a councillor
A new provincewide code of conduct for municipal councillors is receiving a thumbs-up from Richmond County's warden, who found herself dealing with inappropriate behaviour by a county councillor midway through her first term of office.
Amanda Mombourquette and three other Richmond councillors voted to bar District 2 representative Michael Diggdon from council meetings for a month in the spring of 2022, after an internal investigation found he had broken the county's municipal code of conduct.
The investigation began after a woman reported that Diggdon had responded to her inquiries about finding low-income housing by texting her during a council meeting and asking her to send him a picture of herself.
Describing the previous parameters for in-house municipal discipline as "vague," Mombourquette said she feels the new code of conduct is a "huge step forward" that would have made it easier for Richmond County to deal with situations like the one involving Diggdon.
"I think it definitely would have helped," Mombourquette told CBC Radio's Information Morning Cape Breton host Steve Sutherland on Tuesday.
Diggdon was defeated in his recent re-election bid by District 2 challenger Lois Landry.
Code outlines investigations process
Under the provincewide code of conduct announced Monday, a third-party investigator chosen by council would step in once a complaint is lodged against an elected official.
After receiving the investigator's report, council would decide whether the code of conduct was breached and impose one or more sanctions, taking into consideration the nature and severity of the offence.
There's a wide range of penalties, including a formal letter of reprimand, a temporary suspension from municipal committees and boards, and a $1,000 fine for each contravention of the code.
"The fact that it relies on an investigator, a third party — that's a person who has to demonstrate some level of expertise, it's someone who can look into the matter without any sense of bias or sense of influence," said Mombourquette, who was re-elected Saturday in District 4.
She plans to put her name forward for the warden's post once again when Richmond municipal councillors are sworn in later this month.
Minister hopes new code curbs 'disrespectful' activity
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Cape Breton he hopes the new guidance will curb negative behaviour within municipal council chambers across the province.
"This will address disrespectful comments about colleagues or council decisions. Councillors will be able to disagree with decisions publicly, but they have to be respectful," Lohr told host Wendy Bergfeldt on Monday.
The code of conduct was developed following consultations with a working group that included representatives of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, the province's Association of Municipal Administrators, and the Association of Nova Scotia Villages.
Each municipality in the province must formally adopt the new code of conduct and report back to the minister by Dec. 19.
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With files from CBC Radio's Information Morning Cape Breton and Mainstreet Cape Breton