Dear Editor,
This letter is in response to the Letter to the Editor from Mr. Judson, which was forwarded by Ken Kellar, Editor of the Fort Frances Times.
In regard to Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) requests, as the Clerk of the Township of Emo, I have been delegated by By-Law the duties of completing all MFIPPA requests that are received by the Township. As a part of this process, it is also my duty and responsibility to ensure the confidentiality of the access requester. The MFIPPA Act, and the Interpretation Bulletins provided by the Information Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (www.ipc.on.ca) are tools that are used by Municipal Clerks in processing MFIPPA Requests.
Mr. Judson refers to the Commissioner’s 2023 decision Re Township of Puslinch (Order MO-4332) “made it clear that not only are municipalities required to disclose total legal expenditures under access to information laws, but also lawyer’s invoices – with only truly privileged portions redacted.” This decision was referring to legal expenditures from legal proceedings that have concluded, which makes them neutral documents.
The Township of Puslinch (Order MO-4332) also made it clear that legal expenditures that are a result of active legal proceedings are not neutral documents.
The public is able to see the amount that is budgeted each year, and for the last several years, along with the actual amount spent for the Township of Emo’s combined legal files. The information can be seen in the Township of Emo’s Budget documents, which are located on the Township of Emo’s website at https://emo.ca/municipal-bylawspolicies. Please note that the Township of Emo’s tax increase for the past three years are: 2025 – 1.5% tax rate increase ; 2024 – 0% tax rate increase; 2023 – 4.1% tax rate increase.
Sincerely,
Crystal Gray
CAO/Clerk-Treasurer
Township of Emo
