Code of Conduct Training Available for Municipal Leaders
The province has developed code of conduct training for municipal leaders that will strengthen local governments and benefit elected officials, municipal staff and the public.
The online code of conduct training module is interactive and easy to access. The training will strengthen elected leaders’ knowledge of the code of conduct requirements, help them to address inappropriate behaviour, and increase their understanding of the procedures for filing a formal code of conduct complaint.
“Constituents expect their municipal councillors to perform their duties respectfully, effectively and responsibly. We want to ensure that councils have the tools they need to carry out good governance, while at the same time, respecting a municipality’s authority to manage their own affairs. The goal is to support collaboration among municipal leaders and enhance a local government’s ability to provide good governance to their communities.”
– Housing, Land and Communities Minister Rob Lantz
The Municipal Government Act requires municipal governments to have code of conduct bylaws. Code of conduct regulations were adopted April 1, 2023 and give municipal councils the framework to establish the expectations, rules and procedures they need to create and maintain a safe and respectful council environment.
“We appreciate the Province’s efforts to help municipal leaders gain a full understanding of code of conduct requirements and how to address any problems that may arise,” said Federation of PEI Municipalities president, Bruce MacDougall. “This training will help councillors work together even more productively as they serve Islanders in municipalities across Prince Edward Island.”
Current municipal elected leaders will have until March 31, 2024 to complete the training.
Going forward, elected leaders are required to take code of conduct training within six months of being appointed, elected or re-elected.
Source: Government of Prince Edward Island