The Town of Whitby Council will see a motion at the March 9 meeting about the use of paid political consultants by council members.
This comes ahead of the next Whitby municipal election that is scheduled to be held on October 26, 2026. The council has been wracked by internal dissension (see below).
The motion, moved by Mayor Elizabeth Roy, will include questions about how these consultants are paid, their affiliation with provincial and federal political parties, whether these consultants are given access to confidential Town of Whitby documents/in-camera meeting content, etc.
Mayor Roy said she’s “bringing forward a motion that would require members of Council to publicly disclose any paid consultants, strategists, advisors, lobbyists, or third-party organizations that provide them with strategic or political support during their term of office.
“The Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and the Council Code of Conduct require members to avoid conflicts and disclose benefits.” She added. “However, there is no reporting mechanism to disclose paid advisors engaged to support political positioning, communications, or re-election activities during the term of office.” continued Mayor Roy.
Her motion would aim to “create a public registry, overseen by the Integrity Commissioner, including whether compensation for services is provided directly by the member of council, by a third party, or in-kind.”
“This is about strengthening accountability, reducing real or perceived conflicts of interest, and ensuring that municipal decision-making remains transparent and worthy of public trust.” Mayor Roy concluded
The motion states:
Whereas transparency in municipal governance is essential to maintaining public trust and ensuring accountability of elected officials throughout their term of office;
Whereas Members of Council may receive strategic, communications, advisory, or political support from consultants, lobbyists, or third‑party organizations outside of formal election periods;
Whereas such support may create real or perceived conflicts of interest, confer indirect benefits, or influence municipal decision‑making in ways that are not visible to the public;
Whereas the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and the Council Code of Conduct require Members to avoid conflicts and disclose benefits, but do not currently require proactive reporting of consultants or advisors engaged to support political positioning, communications, or re‑election activities during the term of office;
Whereas the Integrity Commissioner is the independent accountability officer responsible for advising on, monitoring, and enforcing ethical conduct by Members of Council;
Therefore be it resolved that:
1. Mandatory Disclosure Requirement
That all Members of Council be required to disclose to the Integrity Commissioner the names, roles, and nature of services provided by any consultants, advisors, communications strategists, lobbyists, or third‑party organizations who:
• provide strategic, political, communications, or advisory support to the Member during their term of office; and
• are engaged, compensated, or otherwise supported directly or indirectly by the Member, a third party, or any political campaign or campaign account.
2. Scope of Disclosure
That disclosures include:
• the identity of the individual or firm;
• the type of support provided (e.g., communications strategy, political advice, lobbying, digital outreach, issue management);
• whether compensation or financial support is provided directly by the Member, indirectly by another individual or campaign, or provided in‑kind;
• the period during which the support is or was provided.
3. Public Registry
That the Integrity Commissioner maintain a publicly accessible registry on the Town’s website listing all disclosures, updated quarterly, with any confidential information redacted in accordance with applicable legislation.
4. Ongoing Reporting Obligation
That Members be required to update their disclosure within 30 days of entering into, modifying, or terminating any such arrangement.
5. Integration with the Code of Conduct
That the Integrity Commissioner incorporate this disclosure requirement into the Council Code of Conduct through an advisory bulletin and provide guidance to Members on compliance expectations.
6. Compliance and Enforcement
That failure to disclose such support, or providing incomplete or misleading information, constitute a potential breach of the Code of Conduct and be subject to investigation and recommendations by the Integrity Commissioner.
7. Implementation Timeline
That the Integrity Commissioner report back to Council within 90 days with an implementation framework, including disclosure forms, registry format, and any recommended amendments to the Code of Conduct.
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