Purpose

Section 270 of the Municipal Act, 2001 as amended by Bill 130 requires that the Township adopt and maintain a policy with respect to the manner in which the municipality will try to ensure that it is accountable to the public for its actions, and the manner in which the municipality will try to ensure that its actions are transparent to the public. The Accountability and Transparency Policy identifies the legislation, policies, procedures and practices that the Township complies with in order to promote accountability and transparency. This policy provides guidance on how the Township of Russell ensures municipal matters are approached in an accountable and transparent manner, with emphasis on openness, ethics, performance outcomes and fiscal responsibility.

Definitions

Accountability – The principle that the municipality is obligated to demonstrate and take responsibility for its actions, decisions and policies and that it is answerable to the public at large.

Transparency – The principle that the municipality will conduct its business in an accessible, clear and visible manner and that its activities are open to examination by its stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Municipal Council and staff are responsible for adhering to the parameters of this policy and for ensuring accountability for their actions and transparency of municipal operations.

Policy Statement

The Township of Russell will promote accountable and transparent municipal governance guided by the following principles:

  1. Decision-making will be open and transparent.
  2. Municipal operations will be conducted in an ethical and accountable manner.
  3. Financial resources and physical infrastructure will be managed in an efficient and effective manner.
  4. Municipal information will be accessible so that it is consistent with legislative requirements.
  5. Inquiries, concerns and complaints will be responded to in a timely manner.
  6. Financial oversight, service standards and performance reporting and all other accountability documents will be made available and accessible, in language that the public can understand, to increase the opportunity for public scrutiny and involvement in municipal operations.
  7. Every new delegation of power or authority will have a corresponding accountability mechanism.

Policy Requirements

As required by Section 270 of the Municipal Act, 2001, this policy applies to all Township of Russell operations.

The Township of Russell’s commitment to accountability and transparency ensures sound governance and sustainability by way of various policies, procedures and practices that have been divided into the following categories:

1. Legislated requirements

The Township of Russell is accountable and transparent to taxpayers by fulfilling various legislated responsibilities and disclosure of information. The following are provincial statutes that govern how the Township conducts its business in a public, accountable and transparent manner:

  1. Municipal Act, 2001
  2. Municipal Conflict of Interest Act
  3. Provincial Offences Act
  4. Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
  5. Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004
  6. Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, 1996
  7. Bill 168, Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace) 2009

2. Financial accountability and reporting

The Township of Russell is accountable and transparent to taxpayers by identifying the source of Municipal funds and how those funds are used to deliver services. The following policies, procedures and practices demonstrate the Township of Russell’s best-practice financial accountability and oversight and reporting mechanisms, including:

  1. External Auditor and report
  2. Annual Financial Statements
  3. Long Range Financial Planning
  4. Quarterly Operating and Capital Budget Status Reports
  5. Delegation of Authority By-law and Reports
  6. Purchasing By-law and Reports
  7. FTE Analysis Report

3. Performance measurement and reporting

The Township of Russell is accountable to taxpayers by using various results-orientated tools to measure progress on performance and the achievement of corporate service standards and goals. The Township of Russell is committed to producing performance information that measures how the municipality is doing in all areas over which it has responsibility, from financial reporting to human resource management to service delivery, including:

  • City Strategic Plan and related performance reports
  • Annual Performance Reports to Council

4. Open government

The Township of Russell is accountable and transparent to taxpayers by providing governance in an open manner through communication, consultation, and collaboration. The following are policies, procedures and practices that ensure the Municipality is transparent in its operations and residents are aware of how decisions are made and carried out:

  1. Council Procedure By-law
  2. Public Distribution of Council and Committee Agenda Meeting Documentation
  3. Appointment Policy (Recruitment and Selection of members of Advisory Committees, Boards and Task Forces, and External Boards, Commissions and Authorities)
  4. Public Notice By-law
  5. Delegation of Powers Policy/Delegation of Authority By-law
  6. Bilingualism Policy
  7. Public Engagement Strategy
  8. Accessible Formats and Communication Supports Procedure
  9. Enhancements to open meeting procedures including a process of rising and reporting following closed sessions, indicating either the date a confidential report can be made public or a legal opinion indicating why the report cannot be made public and proactively making confidential reports public upon the reporting out date
  10. Routine Disclosure and Active Dissemination Policy

5. Internal accountability and ethical standards

The Township of Russell has established policies, procedures and practices that govern internal accountability and ethical standards for the Township of Russell, including:

  1. Code of Conduct for City employees
  2. Code of Conduct for Advisory Committee Members
  3. Code of Conduct for Members of the Built Heritage Sub-Committee
  4. Hiring and Employment of Family Members Policy
  5. Responsible Computing Policy
  6. Election-Related Resources Policy
  7. Harassment in the Workplace Policy
  8. Violence in the Workplace Policy
  9. Equity and Diversity Policy
  10. Records Management Policy

6. Municipal Council’s Accountability Framework

Council has furthered its commitment to accountability and transparency through the implementation of various integrity officers and additional policies and practices:

  1. The proactive disclosure of the office expenses of Members of Council;
  2. The appointment of an Integrity Commissioner to whom Council has also designated the role of Lobbyist Registrar and Meetings Investigator;
  3. The adoption of a Code of Conduct for Members of Council;
  4. The quarterly disclosure by Members of Council in an online Gifts Registry of all gifts, benefits and hospitality received which individually exceed $100 from one source in a calendar year (save for some exceptions);
  5. The quarterly disclosure by Members of Council in an online Gifts Registry of all tickets received which individually exceed $30 from one source in a calendar year (save for some exceptions);
  6. The adoption of a Community, Fundraising and Special Events Policy and a Council Expense Policy;
  7. The enactment of a Lobbyist Registry By-law including a Lobbyist Code of Conduct, and the establishment of a Lobbyist Registry; and
  8. Integrity Commissioner’s Annual Report.

Monitoring/Contraventions

The Municipal Clerk shall be responsible for receiving complaints and/or concerns related to this policy. Upon receipt of a complaint and/or concern, the Municipal Clerk shall notify:

  1. In the case of staff, the Department Head, responsible for the area, the Coordinator, Human Resources and the CAO
  2. In the case of a closed meeting, the Clerk and CAO
  3. In the case of Council, the Head of Council and the CAO.