THUNDER BAY — A new piece of provincial legislation could soon give municipalities across Ontario, including Thunder Bay, the authority to remove city councillors from office for serious misconduct.
The Progressive Conservative government has reintroduced the Municipal Accountability Act, a bill originally tabled before the last election. The legislation proposes significant amendments to the existing Municipal Act, including the creation of a standardized provincial code of conduct for municipal officials and mandatory training provided by integrity commissioners.
One of the most consequential changes would permit councillors to be removed from office and barred from running again for four years — but only if their conduct meets strict criteria and the recommendation is unanimously supported by all other members of council. The Ontario integrity commissioner would have the final say.
“This would give the municipal integrity commissioner the ability to recommend to the Ontario Integrity Commissioner that a member be removed,” explained Krista Power, Thunder Bay’s city clerk. “But it would require a unanimous vote from council for that recommendation to be considered.”
Currently, councillors can only be removed by a court ruling. The new framework aims to address inconsistencies in how municipal conduct is managed across the province.
Thunder Bay receives integrity oversight from Principles Integrity, a firm that provides advice on ethical matters and handles complaints about council and local board members. Presently, integrity commissioners can only issue penalties such as reprimands, suspension of pay, or removal from boards — not from council itself.
Power noted that while standardization could improve accountability, there are concerns. These include the pressure of requiring a unanimous vote for removal and limited options for sanctions beyond dismissal. Her report to council also flagged potential overlap in investigations and a need for stronger independent oversight.
While the bill is still in the legislative process, further changes could be made following consultation.
