Chatham-Kent’s first integrity commissioner is looking forward to the chance to serve the community.
Council last week approved the appointment of Paul Watson, a Chatham lawyer with 15 years experience as a councillor in the former city of Chatham and Chatham-Kent.
“I’m excited about the opportunity,” he said. “It’s a position that provides citizens a go-to person if there are issues with council conduct. I have a background as an elected official so I know how council operates and as a lawyer I understand the legal issues involved.”
In May of this year council updated and passed a code of conduct for elected officials following a province wide trend resulting from issues arising in a number of communities.
Chief Legal Officer for the municipality, John Norton said at the time, having a commissioner is a natural result of the code of conduct.
“The idea is that should something arise in terms of a complaint from the community, we have a very clearly defined method as to how to proceed,” he said.
At present, a citizen complaint about inappropriate behaviour from a council member would come to the CAO’s office, human resources, or to Norton’s attention and then likely on to council.
“It would place us in a position of investigating our bosses and that’s not a best practice,” he said. “There is a real conflict of interest.”
Councillors will be able to use the commissioner’s services in order to answer questions before they become major issues.
Mayor Randy Hope said Watson is an excellent choice for the job.
“It was important to get someone who’s been on both sides of the fence,” he said. “Paul has the experience and the reputation so he brings a lot to the position.”
Watson’s position will be on an as needed basis at a rate of $200 per half day and $400 per day.
