Integrity Commissioner and Ontario Ombudsman

• 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.

The City of London has appointed Principles Integrity as its Integrity Commissioner.

The Integrity Commissioner is an independent accountability officer and will give consideration to eligible complaints about the ethical behaviour of a member of London City Council or one of its local boards.  Eligible complaints generally pertain to an alleged breach of the applicable Code of Conduct or the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, but do not include complaints exclusively about operational matters or policy decisions of Council.

Where appropriate and before filing a complaint, complainants are encouraged to approach the member of Council/local board member involved to seek an informal resolution of the matter that concerns them.

Formal complaints are to be sent directly to the Integrity Commissioner and must include the following information:

• Your name, address, email address , and telephone number

[Note: your name, in most cases, will be disclosed to the member involved so that they can adequately prepare a response to the complaint.  If you believe there are reasons why your name should not be disclosed, please contact the Integrity Commissioner before filing your complaint.]

• The name of the Council/local board member involved
• The reasonable grounds upon which you formed your opinion that the member has breached the applicable standard of behaviour, with sufficient detail to enable the Integrity Commissioner to assess the matter
• The impact or importance of the breach

Formal complaints should be sent directly to the Integrity Commissioner by email to postoffice@principlesintegrity.org.  Queries about the complaint process should be sent to the same email address, including about whether a complaint may be filed in a different manner.  If you are unable to use email to contact the Integrity Commissioner, please contact them at 647-259-8697.

The Integrity Commissioner will exercise discretion to determine whether a complaint will result in a formal investigation, and how that investigation might be conducted.

If as a result of a complaint the Integrity Commissioner makes findings of breach of an ethical standard, and determines it is in the public interest to report on the matter, a public report to Council will be issued.  In most cases the names of complainants are not disclosed in a public report.

Where the Integrity Commissioner determines that the matter is capable of resolution without issuance of a public report, a disposition letter will be issued to the complainant explaining how that determination was reached.  The respondent member of Council/local board member will also, in most cases, be advised of the reasons for disposition.

For any questions about the complaint process please contact the Integrity Commissioner at postoffice@principlesintegrity.org.

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

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.