Town councillor code of conduct amended

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore town council members are now required to sign an oath that they have read and understood the Council Code of Conduct when they swear their oath of office.

Town council voted on May 6 to amend the town’s Council Code of Conduct Bylaw to include the requirement to sign an oath – an amendment that was requested by council.

“This was just to ensure we all are familiar with the code of conduct, as they are the rules that bound council,” said Deputy Mayor Melanie Corbiell in a statement. “This will not just apply to this council, but councils in the future.”

The change will help avoid incidents in the future where there’s confusion about what the abilities or roles of a councillor might be, said Councillor Jason Montgomery.

The change was made in regard to a recent issue where there was some confusion about the extent of what a councillor should be doing, he said.

“That was to impress upon this current council, and any future councils, that the code of conduct needs to be well known,” said Montgomery.