Surrey council to consider creating ethics commissioner role for the city

Surrey council will consider on Monday creating an ethics commissioner.

Councillor Jack Hundial first brought the idea to council in February.

He thinks a Surrey ethics commissioner who would be a neutral, independent officer who would oversee the conduct of city officials.

“We want to have transparency in governance. We want to hold our elected officials and those who manage the city accountable for the decision-making processes.”

Staff is giving council recommendations, including that council authorize the selection of an independent expert who will develop a ‘council code of conduct.’

Hundial would also like to see the creation of a mandatory and broader lobbyist registry in the city, and a whistle-blower policy to protect staff who identify wrongdoing.