Assessing accountability in Canadian municipalities

NRU
April 5, 2017

March 29 the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance released a new paper on accountability
officers and integrity in Canadian municipal government. Authored by University of Western Ontario
professor emeritus Andrew Sancton, the paper evaluates the impact and effectiveness of independent accountability officer positions in cities across the country.

The paper fills a research gap on the topic and draws on case studies from high-profile integrity commissioner investigations in the cities of Vaughan, London, Toronto and Sarnia. Sancton concludes that although accountability officers typically have limited authority beyond the ability to issue declarations and nonbinding recommendations, they can have a significant impact on public opinion.