Council Code of Conduct

As part of our Corporate Values, the City established a Code of Conduct for Members of Council, Local Boards and Committees. This policy ensures integrity, transparency, and accountability in Council actions and that of boards and committees, fostering the public’s confidence in elected and appointed officials. Council members must demonstrate respectful conduct, ethical decision-making, avoid conflicts of interest, and uphold confidentiality.

View the Code of Conduct Policy here. 

Through this Policy, the City of Stratford is committed to ensuring the following key principles:

1. Members shall serve and be seen to serve their constituents in a conscientious and diligent manner.
2. Members shall be committed to performing their functions with integrity and avoid any improper or inappropriate use of the influence of their office, and conflicts of interest or bias, both perceived and real.
3. It shall be the duty of the Members to abide by all applicable legislation, policies and procedures pertaining to their position as a Member.
4. When exercising their powers and in discharging their Official Duties, each Member shall:
   • Seek to advance the common good of the City of Stratford;
   • Truly, faithfully and impartially exercise their office to the best of their knowledge and ability;
   • Exercise care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in similar circumstances;
   • Exercise their powers only for the purpose for which they were intended;
   • Competently exercise their office by educating themselves either formally or informally, in matters pertaining to their official duties; and,
   • At all times respect the Council decision-making process.

Who does this policy apply to?

This Code of Conduct shall apply to all Members of City Council, including the Mayor and Councillors. It also applies to representatives or members of local boards and committees, including but not limited to, any citizens appointed by City Council to a board and/or committee.

How to Report

Concerns about breaches of the Code should be reported to the Integrity Commissioner, who investigates and recommends corrective actions. To Request for Inquiry please complete this form. 

Integrity Commissioner

Role of the Integrity Commissioner

The Integrity Commissioner is an independent and impartial position that reports directly to City Council, with responsibilities laid out in the Municipal Act, 2001. Their responsibilities include:

• Assessing and investigating formal written complaints received under alleged contraventions of the Code of Conduct;
• Assessing and investigating formal written complaints respecting alleged contraventions of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act;
• determining whether a Member has violated a protocol, by-law or policy governing with the final decision-making authority resting with Council;
• providing Council, through the City Clerk, with reports resulting from the investigations of the Integrity Commissioner and any other reports prepared above the informal and formal complaint procedure.

Additional Resources

The Code of Conduct acts in conjunction with the following legislation and the applicable regulations governing the conduct of Members:

• Municipal Act, 2001
• Municipal Conflict of Interest Act
• Municipal Elections Act, 1996
• Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
• Provincial Offences Act
• Ontario Human Rights Code
• Criminal Code of Canada
• By-laws and policies of City Council as adopted and amended from time to time

Questions or Concerns?

If you have any questions or concerns about the Code of Conduct, contact the Clerks office by calling 519-271-0250 or emailing the Clerks Office.