By Times Chronicle Staff
With the addition of Penticton five of seven members of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) have adopted the Elected Official Code of Conduct Policy – the first of its kind in BC.
The five include the RDOS (Electoral Areas A-I), Village of Keremeos, Town of Osoyoos, Town of Princeton, and City of Penticton. The policy is the first sub-regional code of conduct policy in the province for elected officials and is based on the foundational principles of integrity, accountability, leadership, respect, openness, and collaboration.
The policy was drafted by a working group consisting of corporate officers from the Regional District and all six member municipalities, including the District of Summerland and Town of Oliver who have yet to adopt the policy.
“The Code of Conduct covers a range of issues, including general conduct for elected officials, complaint handling, and consequences of breaching the policy,” said Mark Pendergraft, RDOS Chair. “The policy also covers interactions with staff, volunteers and other elected officials.”
The Code of Conduct is intended to guide elected officials in conducting their business and is essential to open and transparent government. The draft policy was reviewed and revised by the Young Anderson code of conduct team, who have conducted similar reviews for other local governments around the province.
The Elected Official Code of Conduct Policy can be viewed on the RDOS website.
