
The city payed $90K last year for integrity commissioner services
The City of Kingston paid more than $90,000 last year for integrity commissioner services, according to a new report released April 1st.
The report from Toronto law firm Aird & Berlis, which serves as the city’s integrity commissioner, shows nine complaints were filed in 2024 about councillor behaviour.
Issues included bullying, social media misuse, and inappropriate comments during council meetings. One complaint led to a reprimand, and another remains open. Four were dismissed, and two were closed due to lack of evidence. One case resulted in a warning to all councillors about using social media carefully.
The strongest penalty was issued to Meadowbrook-Strathcona Councillor Jeff McLaren. Council docked his pay for 30 days after he shared confidential information with residents in two emails. The rest of council filed the complaint, and the content of the leaked information remains undisclosed.
The city says it was billed about $10,000 per investigation in 2024.