With the municipal election coming up in November, a new committee will be struck to handle possible problems associated with that event.
Clerk Glenn Treftlin explained Wednesday that town council has approved the formation of a compliance audit committee—a committee to handle any requests for audits to be conducted on any candidate in a municipal election who may not be in compliance with the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.
Treftlin said under the act, an elector, or candidate, has the opportunity to request a compliance audit be conducted on any candidate in a municipal election.
“We’ve never had this type of a committee before. We’ve been lucky. No one has requested a compliance audit in the past,” Treftlin noted.
The clerk requested council approve the formation of such a committee “in the interest of being prepared for such an event.”
Treftlin noted non-compliance of the Municipal Elections Act could be any number of things, citing failure to submit a financial report of campaign costs as just one.
“If one candidate, or an elector, feels that another candidate is not in compliance, they can call for [an audit],” he explained.
“There’s a strong possibility that they’re going to incur some costs in that, and that could be why it hasn’t come forward in the past,” added Treftlin. “But rather than sit around and take a chance, we might as well have a committee prepared to go with it.”
While the authority delegated to the committee is still to be determined, those suggested by the Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Organization (AMTCO) include the authority to:
•review requests for compliance audits;
•direct that a compliance audit be undertaken;
•appoint an auditor licensed under the Public Accountancy Act;
•commence legal proceedings; and
•recover costs.
Treftlin noted the invite for applications to the committee will take place sometime before the fall, and likely will be done in conjunction with the call for citizens to apply for the numerous other town committees.
The term for those on the compliance audit committee will be limited to a brief period of time.
“It’s specifically for this election. Once this election comes and goes, and if there’s been no request for a compliance audit, then they’ve had an easy job of it,” remarked Treftlin.
Council approved the formation of a compliance audit committee at its meeting Tuesday night. Also at that meeting, council:
•received and gave draft approval to a site plan control application submitted by Loblaw Properties West Inc., based on the preliminary site plan for development of a large scale retail grocery store and gas bar located at 1108-1112 King’s Highway;
•agreed to a recommendation from the Administration and Finance executive committee to make a $650 contribution to the Rainy River Vet Assistance Trust Fund;
•denied a request from the Atikokan Crisis Centre to place a billboard sign adjacent to Highway 11/17 at the east entrance to town (on the grounds the location is not suitable for a sign as it would be necessary for the sign to span the ditch adjacent to the highway);
•received minutes of settlement for 102 Oakwood Rd.;
•agreed to a recommendation from the Administration and Finance executive committee to increase the mileage rate to $.45/km and to authorize the necessary travel policy amendment;
•agreed to a recommendation from the Administration and Finance executive committee not to approve a request from the local “Communities in Bloom” committee that the town treasurer perform bookkeeping functions for the committee;
•approved the travel expenses and per diem claim for Mayor Dan Onichuk in the amount of $555.60 for the NOMA conference held April 26-29 in Thunder Bay;
•approved the travel expenses and per diem claim for Coun. John Albanese in the amount of $1,275.45 for the NOMA conference held April 26-29 in Thunder Bay; and
•awarded the 2006 sanitary sewer and water main rehabilitation work projects to Bay City Contractors Inc.
(Fort Frances Daily Bulletin)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
