Contact(s)
The City of St. Catharines is committed to transparency and ensuring all residents are aware and informed of the expectations of elected officials and individuals appointed to serve on the City's advisory committees, boards and task forces.
Integrity Commissioner |
The City's Integrity Commissioner is John Mascarin. The Integrity Commissioner is an independent and impartial position that is appointed by, and reports directly to, City Council. The City's Integrity Commissioner is responsible for the following:
The City's local boards include:
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Code of Conduct - Informal Complaints |
Any individual who identifies or witnesses behaviour or activity by a Member that they believe contravenes the Code of Conduct may seek to address the prohibited behaviour or activity themselves in the following manner by following the Informal Complaint Procedure:
With the consent of both the complaining individual and the Member, the Integrity Commissioner may participate in any informal process. The parties involved are encouraged to take advantage of the Integrity Commissioner’s potential role as a mediator / conciliator of issues relating to a complaint. |
Code of Conduct - Formal Complaints |
Individuals are strongly encouraged to pursue the Informal Complaint Procedure (listed above - see "Code of Conduct - Informal Complaints") as the first means of remedying behaviour or activity of a Member who they believe violates the Code of Conduct. However, the Informal Complaint Procedure is not a precondition or a prerequisite to pursuing the Formal Complaint Procedure. Submitting a Formal Complaint
Contact bdunk@stcatharines.ca or 905-688-5601 ext. 1506 for information about submitting a Formal Complaint during City Hall closures as a result of COVID-19. |
Municipal Conflict of Interest Act |
The purpose of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act is to prevent members (which includes the Mayor, Councillors and individuals serving on Advisory Committees, Boards and Task Forces) from having any involvement in consideration of any matter in which the member has any direct, indirect or deemed pecuniary interest. The Act requires members to declare a conflict of interest for item(s) at meetings before the items are discussed. Members are also required to submit a written conflict of interest declaration form, which is read aloud to be captured for the minutes of the meeting. After making a declaration, a member cannot participate or vote on the item and cannot seek to influence the item.
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Ombudsman |
The Ombudsman’s jurisdiction includes investigations of the City’s administrative functions and services. The Ombudsman’s services are intended to be a “last resort” available when the complainant has exhausted other available complaint mechanisms and reviews available within the municipality. The Ombudsman can make non-binding recommendations to the municipality to address concerns identified through its investigation. Please visit the Ontario Ombudsman website for additional information on the role of the Ombudsman. |
Closed Meetings |
Per the Municipal Act (Section 239), meetings of Council, committees and local boards shall be open to the public. There are 11 discretionary exceptions when members may meet in closed session (also referred to as "In-Camera"). A meeting or part of a meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered is:
No voting is permitted in-camera except to give direction.
The City's closed meeting investigator is the Ontario Ombudsman. The Ombudsman may investigate a complaint that a meeting was held in-camera improperly. Decisions improperly made in-camera may be invalid. |
Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act |
Any person can make a request for City records. It is a “user pay” system - requesters must pay for search time and copies. The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act establishes a process for the public to gain access to records in the care and control of the City. Legal and Clerks Services is the coordinator of the process for access of municipal records. Please visit the City's Municipal Freedom of Information Act webpage for information on the Act and requesting City records. |