Procedure By-law
County of Oxford Procedure By-law No. 6268-2020
Section 238 of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, C. 25, provides that every municipality and local board shall pass a procedure by-law for governing the calling, place and proceedings of meetings.
The County of Oxford’s current Procedure By-law was amended by County Council on August 9, 2023. Procedure By-law No. 6268-2020 establishes County Council Procedures for governing the proceedings of the Council, the conduct of its members and the calling of meetings of the County Council of the County of Oxford.
Accountability and Transparency
Code of Conduct, Closed Meeting Investigation and Integrity Commissioner
Background
In 2007, the Municipal Act was amended to include several provisions to assist municipalities in being more transparent and accountable to the public.
Section 270 of the Act requires every municipality to adopt and maintain policies for the sale and disposition of land; hiring of employees, procurement of goods and services, public notice, and transparency and accountability.
The Municipal Act also authorizes a municipality to establish a Code of Conduct for members of council and the local boards of the municipality as well as to appoint an Integrity Commissioner who reports to Council and who is responsible for performing, in an independent manner, the functions assigned by the municipality with respect to the application of the Code of Conduct for members of Council and the application of any procedures, rules and policies of the municipality governing the ethical behaviour of members of Council.
The Act also requires a municipality to appoint a closed meeting investigator to investigate complaints as to whether a municipality has complied with the requirements of the Act regarding open meeting requirements.
The County of Oxford retains Mr. John Mascarin as Integrity Commissioner and to investigate closed meeting complaints.
Oxford County Council’s Code of Conduct
On July 13, 2016, Council adopted the Code of Conduct, the purpose of which is to establish guidelines for the ethical behaviour of all members of Council, advisory committees and local boards of the municipality and to enhance public confidence that the County’s elected and appointed officials are held to a high standard of conduct. It is intended only to supplement the legislative parameters within which the members must already operate. It is not intended to replace personal ethics.