A municipal councilor contacted OmbudsPEI to explain that they were the subject of a complaint which led to them being found in violation of the municipality’s Code of Conduct bylaw. The complaint to OmbudsPEI was that the councilor had not been provided with sufficient reasons for the decision.
While the municipality had provided a letter to the councilor explaining its vote to sanction, it acknowledged that an investigative report into the complaint had not been shared as required by provincial legislation and the municipality’s own bylaw.
The councilor’s ability to view the investigative report would not have impacted the vote. Despite this, sharing it was necessary to comply with policy and to ensure the councilor understood what information was before the rest of the council for its vote.
The municipality agreed to provide the councilor with an opportunity to review the report and apologized for not having done so earlier. The municipality also acknowledged that it had not posted notice of the sanction on its website in the manner required and agreed to do so.
