Council code of conduct toothless

Two months later, informal complaint still unanswered

On March 27 Grumpy Taxpayer$ asked if Mayor Marianne Alto or a member of council would file a complaint against one of their own under the new council code of conduct bylaw.

In our view, a commentary by Coun. Jeremy Caradonna entitled “Higher pay for councillors in the public interest” in the March 23, 2024 edition of the Times Colonist seems to be factually challenged. The public want to know and have a right to know if the city’s council code of conduct was contravened and what will be done about it.

Grumpy Taxpayer$ is among those who think there was significant shortcomings in this public communication. We believe the commentary contravenes the code of conduct bylaw, specifically Part 3 on communications and confidentiality and Section 5 which speaks to public communications by a member.

The offending commentary prompted harsh criticism: ‘Councillor pay increase wrong on many levels’ by Coun. Marg Gardiner, ‘April Fools’ Day comes early for Victoria taxpayers’ by Grumpy Taxpayers, ‘Still time for sober second thought by Victoria council’ by Coun. Stephen Hammond, ‘Council failed to consult the public on huge pay increase’ by Grumpy Taxpayer$, and ‘Good governance starts with honesty and humility’ by Tom Braybrook, a former councillor elsewhere.

As a result, public pressure resulted in council backtracking on a bylaw to give councillors a 25 percent pay hike. It then established a task force on the issue which reports back with recommendations on July 25.

But there are important unanswered questions:

• Did Coun. Caradonna, “receive authorization to make the public communications by Council resolution or by virtue of a position or role the member has been authorized to undertake by Council?”
• Did he, “take reasonable efforts to ensure that the communication is fair and accurate?”
• Did he, “ensure that all communications relating to Council business are accurate and not issue any communication that the member knows, or ought to have known, to be false?”

If it’s established a complaint by council has validity, the City Clerk must make the investigation report available to the public after delivery of the investigation report to the complainant and Council, according to the code of conduct.

Understandably, council was criticized over its decision to not allow residents to lodge complaints under the code of conduct. So, our informal complaint has been “taken under advisement” and we will be advised, says Mayor Alto.

Two months later, there remains our most important unanswered question, ‘Does council agree how government elected officials conduct themselves matters?’