• Investigate complaints and alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct for Members of Council.
• Review the Code of Conduct for Members of Council and make recommendations on an annual basis.
• Serve as an advisor to individual Members of Council in relation to the Code of Conduct and any procedures, rules and policies of the municipality governing ethical behaviour, and act as a proactive educator for Council, the Civic Administration and the public.
• Provide reports to Council, summarizing his activities.
• Provide individual investigative reports, as required, which will include background concerning a complaint and recommendations to Municipal Council with respect to a complaint

Principles Integrity is a partnership formed in 2017 to focus on the provision of Integrity Commissioner and municipal governance services through its two principals, Jeffrey A. Abrams and Janice Atwood.  Each of its principals have enjoyed careers focused on local government, and have experience at the local, single-tier, upper-tier and provincial government levels.

Prior to joining Principles Integrity Mr. Abrams was Clerk of the City of Vaughan, and prior to that he worked in a similar capacity for the Regional Municipality of York and the amalgamated City of Toronto. He began his career as a solicitor in the pre-amalgamation Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. Ms. Atwood most recently was City Solicitor for the City of Hamilton and prior to that was City Solicitor in Vaughan.  Her municipal career spans engagements with the legal departments of the Cities of Mississauga and Brampton, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and a term as an elected official on the Peel District School Board.  Both have abundant training and experience in law, municipal government, governance, ethical behaviours, investigations, coaching and legislative drafting.  

Principles Integrity serves approximately 50 municipalities and other public bodies across the province.  Mr. Abrams and Ms. Atwood are active members of MICO, an association of municipal integrity commissioners in Ontario.  Mr. Abrams was recently a part-time professor at Seneca College, where he taught courses in municipal management and structures, and municipal law and ethics.

Contact Information:

Principles Integrity

30 Haddon Street, Toronto, ON M5M 3M9

Attention: Jeffrey A. Abrams and Janice Atwood-Petkovski

Telephone: 647-259-8697

Email: postoffice@principlesintegrity.org

In 2007, the Municipal Act was amended to include several provisions to assist municipalities in being more transparent and accountable to the public.

Section 270 of the Act requires every municipality to adopt and maintain policies for the sale and disposition of land; hiring of employees, procurement of goods and services, public notice, and transparency and accountability.

The Municipal Act also authorizes a municipality to establish a Code of Conduct for members of council and the local boards of the municipality as well as to appoint an Integrity Commissioner who reports to Council and who is responsible for performing, in an independent manner, the functions assigned by the municipality with respect to the application of the Code of Conduct for members of Council and the application of any procedures, rules and policies of the municipality governing the ethical behaviour of members of Council.

The Act also requires a municipality to appoint a closed meeting investigator to investigate complaints as to whether a municipality has complied with the requirements of the Act regarding open meeting requirements.

In December 2007, Municipal Council confirmed the selection of the Ombudsman of Ontario as the City’s closed meeting investigator.

1. Upon written notification from the Ontario Ombudsman of the intent to commence an investigation related to a matter under the Ontario Ombudsman’s jurisdiction, the City Clerk, or their designate, shall advise Members of Council of the investigation by email, with a copy to the City Manager.

2. After Members of Council have been advised of the Ontario Ombudsman’s intent to conduct an investigation, the City Clerk, or their designate, shall notify the public that the City of London has received notice of an Ombudsman investigation and the general nature of the complaint, by posting the information on the City of London’s website.

3. In accordance with section 18(2) of the Ombudsman Act R.S.O. 1990 c.O.6, no further details of the investigation shall be released to the public, in order to uphold the legislated privacy requirements.

1. Upon receipt of the Final Report of the Ontario Ombudsman regarding an investigation, the City Clerk, or their designate, shall circulate the Final Report to Members of Council by email, with a copy to the City Manager.

2. After Members of Council have been provided a copy of the Final Report, the City Clerk, or their designate, shall provide a copy of the Final Report to the public by posting the Final Report on the City of London’s website.

3. The City Clerk, or their designate, will make the necessary arrangements to place the Final Report on the next available appropriate Standing Committee Agenda for formal consideration and receipt by the Municipal Council.

May 1, 2023 – complaint alleging that on March 21, 2023 a quorum of the Community and Protective Services Committee held a meeting that did not comply with the open meeting rules under the Municipal Act, 2001.