City Decides on Ombudsman as New Closed Meeting Investigator

By Aara Macauley, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.  

The city of Kingston was presented with two options related to assigning a Closed Meeting Investigator for council following notification from its current contractor that they are concluding their Closed Meeting Investigator Program at the end of this year.

The Municipal Act, 2001 gives municipalities the authority to appoint an investigator to investigate complaints regarding closed meetings. Municipalities may appoint an individual, a firm, or the Ontario Ombudsman (Ombudsman) to act as their investigator.

Kingston Council has used the services of Local Authority Services (LAS) since 2007,  and entered into an Investigator Services Agreement with LAS in 2008 which automatically renews at the start of each calendar year. LAS  provided notice that its Closed Meeting Investigator Program will conclude on December 31, 2026.

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