Council Code of Conduct

County Council is required to adopt a Code of Conduct Bylaw to govern the conduct of Elected Officials: click here to view the Code of Conduct Bylaw.  The Bylaw must address a specific set of matters, as required by provincial legislation. Each Member of Council is requested (annually) to sign a Council Members' Code of Conduct Statement Acknowledgement to uphold the Lac La Biche County Council Code of Conduct Bylaw.

Council’s code of conduct establishes high level expectations relating to: 

  • Representing and communicating on behalf of the municipality;
  • Respect for the decision-making process;
  • Adherence to policies, procedures and bylaws; 
  • Respectful interactions, including with Council, staff, and the public; 
  • Confidential information;
  • Conflicts of interest and improper use of influence;
  • Gifts and hospitality;
  • And more.

Complaints relating to the conduct of Council Members may be filed by Members of the Public as described in section 19 of the bylaw.   

 Complaints against Council Members must be in writing and include:

  1.  The name of the Council Member alleged to have contravened the Code of Conduct
  2. Reasonable and probable grounds for the allegation, including a description of the facts giving rise to the complaint, including witnesses
  3. The name, date and signature of the complainant, along with the complainant’s contact information. 

Complaints are filed directly with Council’s Integrity Commissioner.  

The Integrity Commissioner is a third-party appointed by Council to receive and consider complaints, conduct investigations (if necessary) and make recommendations to Council relating to contraventions of the Code of Conduct. 

The name of the complainant may be shared with the Member that is the subject of the complaint, if sharing the name is necessary for the Member to respond to the allegations.  

Upon conclusion of an investigation the Integrity Commissioner will report to Council and may provide recommendations relating to sanctions.  

Council will then decide on the final disposition of the complaint.  The Code of Conduct is only enforced by County Council.  Council has discretion relating to sanctions, however no Member may be disqualified or otherwise removed from office for breaching the Bylaw.   

For more information relating to formal complaints, please refer to this Code of Conduct flow chart. 

The Code of Conduct only applies to Members of Council.  Municipal Employees are subject to the applicable Human Resource policies.  Should you have a concern about the conduct of employees, please contact the Chief Administrative Officer or the Director of Human Resources.