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Accountability and transparency

We're opening up government to residents by posting expense reports, providing a lobbyist registry, and following a code of conduct.

For more information on any of the following topics, email the Regional Clerk or call 905-791-7800 ext. 4545.

Other information

Regional Council approved By-law 47-2016 to establish a Lobbyist Registry. The by-law came into effect March 1, 2017.

Regional Council approved By-law 38-2022 to appoint an Integrity Commissioner and Lobbyist Registrar.

Learn more about the Lobbyist Registry

Contact the Integrity Commissioner/Lobby Registrar

Councillors' business expenses are posted to the Region of Peel website quarterly. Expenses are broken down by type of expense, along with some details.

View expense reporting information for Members of Regional Council Individual Reports can be accessed by clicking on a Councillor’s name and then opening the link titled "Term of Council Expense Account PDF".

View Regional policy regarding Business Expense Accounts – Members of Council (PDF)

Questions concerning Councillors' expenses may be addressed to the Manager, Accounting Services at kazi.khan@peelregion.ca.

Enterprise Risk and Audit Services assists the Region of Peel in accomplishing its business objectives by providing a systematic and disciplined approach to help improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes.

The Enterprise Risk and Audit Services division reports functionally to the Audit and Risk Committee to maintain independence and objectivity. The division’s reports are presented to the Audit and Risk Committee on average four to five times annually. All reports can be found with the Audit and Risk Committee agendas for each meeting.

“Internal Audit is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes.”

Visit the committees page for more information.

Service delivery is the process of providing resident-focused services across the Region.

Municipalities can apply for the Province of Ontario’s Audit and Accountability Fund to conduct a third-party independent review of service delivery. The goal of these independent reviews is to find efficiencies, increase accountability, and reduce red tape.

Specifically, the Audit and Accountability Fund:

  • Helps municipalities find ways to modernize service delivery.
  • Helps ensure taxpayers' dollars are not being wastefully spent.

The Region of Peel has completed 5 service delivery reviews under this fund. All 5 reviews were conducted by independent consulting firms.

Child care fee subsidy program review

A review of the Human Services' Child care fee subsidy program. The final report provides specific and actionable recommendations.

Objectives:

  • Analyze the child care fee subsidy process to ensure that eligible families receive their subsidies on time.
  • Reduce administrative costs while maintaining legislated requirements and excellence in customer service.

Download the full Child care fee subsidy report.

The Child care fee subsidy program review was conducted in 2019 by Optimus SBR

Advancing Digital Service Delivery review

A review of how services are delivered digitally. The final report provides specific and actionable recommendations.

Objective: Analyze and develop a roadmap of services prioritized for digital modernization.

Expected result: To advance both the Region's Digital Strategy and Service Experience Strategy, as modernizing service delivery through digital services will meet users' needs in a simple and cost-effective way.

Download the full Digital Service Delivery report.

The Advancing Digital Service Delivery review was conducted in 2021 by ForwardVu Consulting

Development Planning and Engineering Services review

A review of the Region's Development Planning and Engineering Services. The final report provides specific and actionable recommendations.

Objective: Analyze the Region's development planning, engineering, and site servicing application review and clearance or approval processes in consultation with the development community and in partnership with the City of Brampton, City of Mississauga, and Town of Caledon.

Expected result: Enhanced service delivery and value to customers by focusing on streamlining and modernizing opportunities to improve process and cost efficiencies.

Download the full Development Planning and Engineering Services report.

The Development Planning and Engineering Services review was conducted in 2021 by Dillon Consulting Limited (in partnership with Performance Concepts Consulting)

Finance Service Delivery review

A review of the Region's financial service delivery model. The final report provides specific and actionable recommendations.

Objective: Analyze the Region's financial and procurement activities to develop a future-state financial service delivery model.

Expected result: Enhanced service effectiveness, efficient service delivery, enhanced value to internal partners and the community.

Download the full Financial Service Delivery report.

The Financial Service Delivery review was conducted in 2022 by Ernst and Young.

Water Billing Resident Portal Integration review

A review of the possible integration of the Region’s Water Billing service into the Resident Portal. The final report provides specific and actionable recommendations.

Objective: Determine the approach to integrate the Water Billing service into the Resident Portal, with the intent of evolving the Resident Portal as a “one stop” location to access Region of Peel digital services.

Expected result: Improved resident experience and ease of access to Peel services. This aligns directly with the Advancing Digital Service Delivery initiative, by providing a central point of entry to digital services.

Download the full Water Billing Integration report.

The Water Billing Integration review was conducted in 2022 by Ernst and Young (EY Design Studio).

Members of Regional Council must adhere to a number of other laws and statutes, as well as Regional By-laws, policies and procedures, which serve to support Council’s Code of Conduct.

The Integrity Commissioner was appointed by By-law 32-2022.

The Integrity Commissioner reports to Regional Council and is responsible for performing, in an independent manner, the functions assigned by the municipality.

Integrity Commissioner Reports to Regional Council:

Report from Robert Swayze, Integrity Commissioner, Regarding Code of Conduct Complaint - Sprovieri v. Jeffrey

Robert Swayze, Integrity Commissioner and Lobbyist Registrar, Letter dated dated January 30, 2018, Regarding Integrity Commissioner Services

Report from Principles Integrity titled "Region of Peel - Code of Conduct Complaint by Peel Regional Police Services Board Against Regional Councillor Parrish - Recommendation Report"

Report from Principles Integrity titled "Region of Peel - Code of Conduct Complaint Against Chair Iannicca - Recommendation Report

Report from Principles Integrity titled “Region of Peel – Code of Conduct Complaint Against Councillor Groves - Recommendation Report

If you are contacting the Regional Clerk in relation to the Regional Council Code of Conduct, please include your name, contact information and nature of the inquiry. 

Requests should be directed to the Office of the Regional Clerk at 905-791-7800, ext. 7517 or the Integrity Commissioner.

Regional Council approved a resolution on February 28, 2019 requiring Members of Council to submit a Disclosure of Interest form whenever they make a declaration of conflict of interest on an agenda item at a Council or Committee meeting. Disclosures of Interest are made under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. The form is available for viewing below.

Disclosure of Interest Form

A public complaints process is in place for public complaints regarding the programs, facilities, Regional services, operational procedures, staff or the action or lack of action taken regarding operations, facilities or services provided by the Region of Peel or by a person or body acting on behalf of the Region of Peel.

As of January 1, 2016, if a municipality does not appoint a Municipal Ombudsman, then the Ontario Ombudsman becomes its default Municipal Ombudsman. Region of Peel Council has not made a decision regarding the Ombudsman; therefore, the Ontario Ombudsman currently functions as the Municipal Ombudsman for the Region of Peel.

A member of the public can request an investigation of a Closed Session Meeting if they feel a meeting was closed improperly.

The Region of Peel has, under Council Resolution 2007-1541, entered into an agreement with Local Authority Services (LAS) to conduct Closed Session investigations.

Under the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, a meeting can be closed to the public pursuant to section 239. Council may close a meeting to consider any of the following:

  • The security of the property of the municipality or local board
  • Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees
  • A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board
  • Labour relations or employee negotiations
  • Litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting a municipality or local board
  • Advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege including communications necessary for that purpose
  • A matter in respect of which a council, board, committee or other body may hold a closed meeting under another Act
  • Information explicitly supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board by Canada, a province or territory or a Crown agency of any of them
  • A trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board, which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person, group of persons, or organization
  • A trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial or financial information that belongs to the municipality or local board and has monetary value or potential monetary value; or
  • A position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board.

To request an investigation, contact the Office of the Regional Clerk or call 905-791-7800 ext. 7517.

The conduct of Council and Committee meetings is governed by the Region of Peel Procedure By-law, which is a requirement of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended. The Procedure By-law provides rules of order for meetings and ensures that meetings are open to the public, with some exceptions, and provides for notice of public meetings.