CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
While presenting to Stratford city council on who he was, newly appointed integrity commissioner David Boghosian went through a number of exceptions to having a meeting open with the public.
“One thing that could have been in camera, but I'm glad it isn't, is this very meeting where I'm giving you education,” Boghosian said. “This could be done in camera. A lot of the municipalities … choose to do it in camera, but I think it's good for the public to hear and appreciate the role of the integrity commissioner.”
Hearing about what the integrity commissioner does, and perhaps appreciating what the integrity commissioner does, were the reasons for Boghosian’s presentation to council on Jan. 27. He gave a run down of his services and councillors’ responsibilities, under the provincial direction they currently have.
One of the first things Boghosian pointed out to council was the lack of a standardized code of conduct for Ontario municipalities. As he said, Bill 241, the Municipal Accountability Act, is meant to fill that void but no code has been made available as of yet.
Instead, the Municipal Act requires a code of conduct be established as a “common basis” for the ethical behaviour of councillors and board members associated with local government.
There has to be section in codes of conduct for gifts, benefits and hospitality, a section for respectful conduct, a section for the non-disclosure of confidential information, and a section on the use of property.
“In my experience, there's some very bare bones codes of conduct out there. There's some extremely extensive ones, City of Toronto comes to mind,” Boghosian said. “I would say, Stratford, from what I've reviewed, is on the more detailed side of things. There are probably more tenants covered than your typical Ontario code of conduct, which is a good thing in my view.”
He went on to talk about gifts, and that if the value of a gift or benefit exceeds $100, the member must disclose a statement with the integrity commissioner and the chief administrative officer (CAO). Over five years as integrity commissioner, Boghosian has only had three disclosure statements.
“Which is surprising to me, so maybe people need to be more conscious of this,” he said.
Going over the 20-page Stratford code of conduct, the complexities of municipal law, and examples of said complexities, Boghosian ended the hour-long educational session with a key take away: he and his office is open for questions, should any councillor need guidance.
Boghosian took over as integrity commissioner from Robert Swayze, after council decided to part ways with him in March of last year. Boghosian’s appointment was not unanimous. Some councillors raised concerns about his track record and opposed his appointment. Just a week prior to that decision, Boghosian was dismissed as the City of Greater Sudbury’s integrity commissioner, due to councillor complaints about unfairness.
Many Stratford councillors in favour of Boghosian pointed out his track record and the substance of the complaints he faced.
Boghosian of Boghosian + Allen LLP has been practicing law for over 30 years and has been an integrity commissioner for the last five years, currently in service to 14 municipalities.
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