ERIN – Aird and Berlis, a Toronto-based law firm, is the Town of Erin’s new integrity commissioner.
An integrity commissioner ensures the conduct of the members of town council complies with the terms of the Municipal Act, 2001 and Ontario Regulation 55/18.
“The town received notice from our previous integrity commissioner, Robert Swayze, that he was retiring effective immediately earlier in February,” town clerk Nina Lecic told council in a Feb. 13 meeting.
“We were also notified that Aird and Berlis LLP was resuming all of their (Swayze) municipal contracts.”
Swayze was a municipal lawyer from Caledon, who was paid $225 per hour.
The appointment of Aird and Berlis allows the town to meet its legislative requirement under the Municipal Act by providing accountability and transparency to its residents.
“The town is confident that this is the best approach in order to complete the previous integrity commissioner contract, which was in place until the end of 2026,” added Lecic.
According to the council report, staff recommend continuing the previous practice of allowing for the renewal of an additional four years.
“This has been the council-approved practice in Erin for the past two [integrity commissioner] terms (2018-2026) and is standard in the municipal sector,” states the report.
Lecic noted the law firm is the integrity commissioner for more than 75 public sector entities in Ontario.
“Staff have worked with them and are confident in their abilities to serve the town in this capacity,” she said.
“Will we be assigned one person or multiple people from the corporation?” asked Mayor Michael Dehn.
Lecic replied, “Aird and Berlis has a team that is allocated to us.”
The team includes lawyers and administrators depending on the type of inquiry from the town.
According to the town’s website, Aird and Berlis partner John Mascarin is Erin’s integrity commissioner.
The hourly rate is confidential, according to Lecic in a Feb. 18 email.
She noted, “the town pays for [integrity commissioner] services based on the complaints/inquiries” it receives.
Integrity commissioner fees are a component of the town’s consulting fees budget.
The 2024 budget included a provision of $30,000 for overall consulting fees but only $2,900 was used that year.
In 2023, costs totaled $4,700.
Council approved the appointment for the remainder of the contract term, including the renewal of an additional four years.
