Sudbury council skips integrity commissioner — for now

Sudbury city council has voted to postpone hiring an integrity commissioner — something that doesn't sit well with Mayor Marianne Matichuk.

She said council is wasting time creating policies the commissioner could help them with.

"I think it's important that the integrity commissioner be engaged as part of that now. Not in six months, or eight months."

An integrity commissioner and president of the ethics firm EthicScan said more municipalities than ever are hiring integrity commissioners.

"Having somebody in house [who’s] able to investigate complaints, provide guidance, so that people keep out of trouble in the first place, is a direction that more and more organizations are looking at,” David Nitkin said.

In the last two years alone, the number of integrity commissioners working for Ontario municipalities has doubled, he noted.

About 40 municipalities now have one.

Sudbury would only be the second northern Ontario municipality to get an integrity commissioner.

Wawa hired one in 2006.

Town CAO Chris Wray said council has the right idea.

"That seems a bit backwards, appointing the integrity commissioner to draft the code of conduct."

Wray said an integrity commissioner could always give suggestions for changes to the code later on.