Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Oct. 18, 2021 – Where Can I Direct Complaints About a Council Decision or Council/City Conduct

Welcome to the Mayor’s Monday Mailbag, an initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office has launched to share weekly answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.At the end of the month, we’ll publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Oct. 18, 2021QUESTION:“If I'm unhappy with a decision of council, or conduct by council or staff, what can I do?”ANSWER:There are multiple options to provide accountability and oversight of council decisions, and council or city staff conduct. If you have a concern or complaint, or wish to launch an investigation, there are several options, listed below, depending on the nature of your concern.Municipal Acts and CodesIf a member of the public thinks a member of Council has breached the Province of Ontario's Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, or has breached the Council Code for Good Governance, they can file a complaint with the Integrity Commissioner. On June 18, 2018, the City of Burlington's Council appointed Principles Integrity to act as its Integrity Commissioner providing accountability services to the City. For more information, please click here.Confidential Closed-Door MeetingsIf a member of the public thinks Burlington City Council has had a “closed-door meeting” improperly, they can file a complaint through the City's Clerks Department at clerks@burlington.ca or 905-335-7777 to be forwarded to ADR Chambers - Closed Meeting Investigator. For more information, please click here.Service Received at the CityIf a member of the public is unhappy with a service they have received from the City of Burlington, they can contact the City's Clerks Department at clerks@burlington.ca or 905-335-7777  to first try and resolve the issue. If an impartial, independent review is needed to resolve the issue, it would be forwarded to ADR Chambers - Ombudsman. For more information on the Office of the Ombudsman, please click here.RELATED LINKS:

• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Oct. 4, 2021 – What’s Being Done to Stop Noise from Loud Vehicles?
• Mayor’s Mailbag – September 2021 Roundup – National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, Where Should I Direct my City-Related Questions, & Changes to Noise Regulation of Transportation of Goods
• Mayor’s Mailbag – August 2021 Roundup – Mixed vaccines & travel, Memorializing a loved one, & Construction hours of operation
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag — July 2021 Roundup — Fireworks regulations, Millcroft Greens development, lifting of mask mandate & high-rises at Holland Park site
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag — June 2021 Roundup — Development applications, vaccine supply & gunk on the beach

—*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor’s Media and Digital Communications Specialist