When a person has a concern about the conduct of a Council Member they may choose a formal or an informal resolution process. Informal complaints are typically addressed through informal discussion between the parties, sometimes with the assistance of the Mayor to facilitate a healthy discussion and resolution. Receipt of a signed written complaint from either a member of the public or a Councillor triggers a more formal review and investigation. The investigation process may be led by members of Council or in independent third party. If the investigation determines that there has been a breach of the Code of Conduct Bylaw, Council may impose sanctions on the Council Member whose conduct fell short of the expected standards.

The member who is the subject of the complaint is given a full opportunity to respond to the complaint before council deliberates or a decision on sanctions are made.

The process only starts when a person raises concerns that the conduct of a Council Member falls short or contravenes the standards set out in the Code of Conduct Bylaw. If they choose to discuss those concerns with the Council Member in question, that is considered an ‘Informal Complaint’. If they submit a written complaint, that is considered a ‘formal complaint’. There is no requirement that the person who has the concern start with the informal process before proceeding to a formal complaint.

According to the bylaw, a review is done by the Mayor, or at the Mayor’s discretion, the Mayor and two Members, none of whom are the subject of or are implicated in the complaint. Members would be selected on a rotation by the Mayor or Deputy Mayor. A review is done to ensure the complaint has been made in good faith, and is not frivolous or vexatious. Only those complaints that pass this vetting process proceed to investigation. The investigation can be done by Council themselves or a third party.

The investigation process is confidential. In most cases, a report is released to the public once the investigation is complete. Council must make any arising decisions in public.