Council defers talk on conflict
Charlottetown’s intergovernmental affairs chair says still time left to discuss conflict of interest bylaw
Charlottetown city council wants some more time to consider the conflict of interest bylaw the province is asking them to implement.
Under the new Municipal Government Act, councils across the province have to adopt a new reserve funds bylaw and bylaws governing, grants, fees, conflict of interest and code of conduct.
All but the conflict of interest bylaw passed first reading at Charlottetown city council’s regular public monthly meeting on Tuesday night.
Coun. Mitchell Tweel asked and successfully moved a deferral of the conflict of interest bylaw, explaining that councillors were so busy with the recent municipal election they didn’t have time to read up on what exactly the province is looking for. He added that council has yet to discuss the proposed bylaws being requested by municipal affairs.
Coun. Kevin Ramsay, chairman of the intergovernmental affairs committee, said it’s all about abiding by the province’s new rules for municipalities.
“It has to be done by December, before the year ends,’’ Ramsay said, referring to when the bylaws have to receive second and final reading. “Conflict was deferred. This gives council a chance to review it all once again. (Councillors) have their package and some read it and some don’t but it was all in their package. It was confusing for some councillors but your conflict of interest is very straight forward.’’
Ramsay said council already has conflict of interest guidelines in place now but the province is “really enforcing it now . . . every town, every village and every city will be . . . under the same umbrella.’’
Ramsay said the new conflict of interest bylaw won’t be much different than what is already in place. If a councillor has a family member connected to something being voted on or is involved with something that comes to a vote, they would have to step outside council chambers for the vote.
Ramsay also doesn’t see the deferral as a big deal.
“It’s not the end of the world. That’s not the first thing we ever deferred. (There are) more rules for the cities, towns and villages (and) we have to abide by them. It just makes government move that much smoother and be accountable to everybody. It keeps everything above board.’’
“Conflict was deferred. This gives council a chance to review it all once again. (Councillors) have their package and some read it and some don’t but it was all in their package.” Coun. Kevin Ramsay