City of Surrey becomes 1st in B.C. to appoint ethics commissioner

The City of Surrey has become the first municipality in the province to establish the position of ethics commissioner.

Lawyer Reece Harding has been appointed to the position and has extensive experience working with local governments.

The mandate of the ethics commissioner includes the authority to investigate complaints and make disciplinary recommendations to Surrey’s council.

“It’s important now, when you get into government, you see the gaps in the community charter and legislation when questions from the public need to be addressed in a clear, transparent, methodical manner,” Coun. Jack Hundial, who campaigned on the idea of an ethics commissioner, told Global News.

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In a release, the City of Surrey said it was a nationwide search to find someone for the position and staff received more than 30 applications.