Wellington County re-appoints integrity commissioner

GUELPH – Wellington County council has re-appointed Guy Giorno as the county’s integrity commissioner for a four-year term commencing on Jan. 1.

Giorno, a partner in the law firm of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, was appointed as the first Wellington County integrity commissioner in 2019 following the passage of provincial legislation requiring municipalities to have a code of conduct and access to a commissioner.

The legislation authorizes a municipality to appoint an integrity commissioner who reports to council and who is responsible for independent reviews of such matters as investigating potential code of conduct violations and providing advice and education to council members regarding ethics-related issues.

“I think we’ve only had one or two incidents with regards to that. So that’s working very well,” said councillor Chris White at the Dec. 1 council meeting.

An administration, finance and human resources committee recommendation to approve the appointment was approved by county council at the meeting.

Giorno will not receive a retainer but will be paid at an hourly rate of $325 per hour, plus mileage and expenses for any work performed.

Services provided by any junior lawyer or professional employee of Giorno’s firm will be at an hourly rate of $225.

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