Integrity and Ethics Office

Commissioner/Advisor • Making Complaints • Policies and Documents • Reports

Overview

Citizens expect members of City Council to meet the highest standards of conduct when carrying out their public functions. This means serving constituents and the public in a conscientious and diligent manner; acting with integrity; avoiding conflicts of interest and improper use of influence; and arranging their private affairs in a way that promotes public confidence and stands up to close public scrutiny.

The Code of Conduct for Elected Officials Bylaw 26M2018 establishes rules a Member of Council must follow in the discharge of their office and the powers and procedure of the Integrity Commissioner in exercising oversight over Members of Council.

This Bylaw meets the Municipal Government Act R.S.A. 2000, c. M-26 requirement for The City of Calgary to establish a bylaw code of conduct governing the conduct of members of Council.

Integrity Commissioner and Ethics Advisor

The City of Calgary is the first municipality in western Canada to create an independent Integrity Commissioner. Within the Integrity and Ethics Office, the Integrity Commissioner is responsible for investigating and adjudicating potential ethics matters related to City Council when she receives a complaint. How the Integrity Commissioner receives, investigates and adjudicates complaints is set out in Part 3 of the Code of Conduct for Elected Officials Bylaw.

The Ethics Advisor provides advice and education to City Council and conducts alternative dispute resolution when a referral is made from the Integrity Commissioner.

To learn more about The City’s Integrity Commissioner and Ethics Advisor roles and the biographies of the persons filling those roles, please visit Integrity and Ethics Office Roles and the Integrity and Ethics Office terms of reference.

To learn more about the rules councillors must follow, view the Code of Conduct for Elected Officials. The Integrity commissioner does not have the authority to investigate council members who were not re-elected.

How to make a complaint

Do you have a complaint about an elected member of City Council? The City’s Integrity Commissioner conducts investigations into allegations in a fair, objective and independent manner according to the Code of Conduct for Elected Officials Bylaw.

To submit your complaint, please provide a brief synopsis of your concern, including the specific details and/or evidence as well as the following:

your full name,
mailing address,
telephone number, and
details of your complaint.

Your complaint cannot be anonymous. Section 66 of the Code of Conduct states that a reporting individual who does not provide this information will not receive notice or other communication from the Integrity Commissioner. If complete information is not provided, your complaint may not be acknowledged.

All information submitted will be held in confidence according to The City’s Code of Conduct as well as Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Individuals who wish to make formal complaints can do so in one of 4 ways:

Online

Reporting site operated by Clearview Connects.

Report online

Mail

Integrity Commissioner
Integrity and Ethics Office
P.O. Box 2100, Station M, #8001
Calgary, AB T2P 2M5

Phone

1-866-505-5039 (independent external phone line)

Call 1-866-505-5039

Email

Integrity.Commissioner@calgary.ca

For any complaints about City administration or City employees, please submit concerns to The City’s Whistle-blower Program, which was created to support The City’s Code of Conduct for Administration (City employees) and is operated independently by the City Auditor’s Office.