Retired judge steps down as council’s first integrity czar
Nenshi says ‘there is a need for the role’ as city begins search for a replacement
He’s worked to keep councillors on the straight and narrow as Calgary ’s first integrity czar for nearly two years, but retired justice Allen Sulatycky won’t seek another term at the helm of city hall’s integrity and ethics office.
On Monday, Mayor Naheed Nenshi confirmed the city has begun looking for a replacement for Sulatycky, 79, whose term expires in April.
“It’ll be hard to follow Justice Sulatycky’s shoes, but I’m sure we’ll end up with a good person,” Nenshi said.
“So now, if you happen to be someone of the highest possible ethical standard, perhaps a retired judge or a senior lawyer, please apply for this job. It doesn’t pay very well, but it is a great opportunity for public service.”
Nenshi said Sulatycky, a retired Court of Queen’s Bench justice, played an important role in crafting the role of integrity commissioner, a post dedicated to probing allegations against council members.
Previously, complaints about councillors were lumped into the city auditor’s whistleblower program, which also investigated complaints against city employees and operations.
The part-time post paid a monthly retainer of $2,000 along with a $200-an-hour salary.
Sulatycky investigated a number of complaints that captured the public’s attention, including one made against Nenshi for controversial comments he made about Uber that were caught on video two years ago. Nenshi was censured by Sulatycky for “extravagant hyperbole” in one of the few public reports issued by his office in response to a complaint.
Sulatycky told Postmedia last July that reports will be released
So now, if you happen to be someone of the highest possible ethical standard … please apply for this job.
to the public only in cases where a complaint is substantiated.
He also investigated a complaint brought against Coun. Ward Sutherland over a “stabbing gesture” made during a council meeting last spring. In that case, Sulatycky ruled that Sutherland’s behaviour had not violated council’s code of ethical conduct in a letter that was leaked to the media.
Nenshi said Monday that while Sulatycky wasn’t called upon too often for investigations, “there is a need for the role.”
“Because, ultimately, if members of the public have a concern with the behaviour of councillors, they really had nowhere to go before. ”