The City of Stratford will begin a search for a new integrity commissioner following a comprehensive review of the position at some point next year.
Wanting to get the most bang for its buck, the City of Stratford will look for a new integrity commissioner next year following a full-scale review of the position.
At Monday’s council meeting, the majority of council voted against extending Stratford integrity commissioner Robert Swayze’s current contract for another two years once it expires on Dec. 9 this year.
Currently serving as integrity commissioner for several Ontario municipalities, Swayze was first hired by Stratford in October 2018 in the wake of the province’s Modernizing Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act, which municipalities required to appoint these positions. The role of an integrity commission primarily involves independently reviewing and providing guidance to members of council about the application of council’s code of conduct; procedures, rules and policies governing the ethical behavior of council; and the application of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.
Swayze’s initial two-year contract was then extended by another two years in 2020.
“This is the first integrity commissioner that we’ve had, and I think it would serve us well to have a proposal for somebody else to fill that position,” said Coun. Cody Sebben, speaking against extending Swayze’s contract.
With Stratford councilors now having a “good look” at what the integrity commissioner role involves, Coun. Danielle Ingram agreed that Stratford should “go out and do a full (request) for new services.”
With Stratford’s municipal election approaching in October, Coun. Jo-Dee Burbach suggests the search for a new integrity commissioner be would be better suited to the new slate of councilors.
count. Kathy Vassilakos also suggested the city and the new council conduct a comprehensive review of the position prior to putting out another request for proposals.
“We have an opportunity here before we go out for (the request for proposals) to take a look at the integrity commissioner and look at the services being provided, look at some of the challenges that integrity commissioners have had or challenges councils have had with integrity commissioners in the province over the last couple years since they started having them,” Vassilakos said. “And then, even sort of reviewing our code of conduct to make sure that we capture some of those newer issues that have come up.”
To allow staff enough time to conduct a review of the position, councilors voted to extend Swayze’s current contract for as many as 12 months. In the meantime, staff will conduct that review and bring a report and a proposed request for proposals to subcommittee for discussion at some point in the new year.
Briefly alluded to by Burbach during council’s discussion Monday night, Swayze has made headlines recently after recommending Greater Sudbury Coun. Michael Vagnini’s salary be suspended for several alleged code-of-conduct violations.
According to a report in the Sudbury Star, the first violation involved comments made during a meeting of that city’s finance committee in January, when Vagnini said he did not believe staff about reports of deaths and violence amongst the homeless population.
Vagnini is also accused of being disrespectful towards Jesse Oshell, the city’s deputy fire chief, and wearing at him while trying to arrange accoutrements for the funeral of local sports legend Franco Apolloni.
Michael Lacy, a high-profile Toronto lawyer hired by Vignini earlier this year, has taken issue with Swayze’s analysis of the allegations, suggesting the commissioner prejudged the situation, and was expected to square off with Swayze at a Greater Sudbury council meeting Tuesday afternoon.