The governing PCs voted down major proposed amendments to Bill 9, the Municipal Accountability Act, despite support for those changes from municipal leaders and other stakeholders during a summer-long consultation process across Ontario.
One of the most significant proposals, brought forward by NDP MPP Jeff Burch, would have allowed a judge to make the final decision on whether to remove a municipal councillor from office following serious misconduct. The motion was rejected this Tuesday during clause-by-clause review at the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy.
“This was the main point of contention in the bill and the focus of nearly all our public hearings,” Burch said during debate. “Stakeholders were clear that the final decision should be made by an independent judge, not a politicized council.”