Recent events in the City of Pickering have placed municipal councillor conduct, workplace culture, and accountability in the public spotlight again. Following an external investigation, it was concluded that the cumulative effect of the councillor’s conduct directed toward municipal staff constituted workplace harassment and created a poisoned work environment. The matter generated significant public attention last week and highlighted an issue that many municipalities have grappled with for years: the conduct of elected officials can have a profound impact on workplace culture and the wellbeing of municipal employees.
Against this backdrop, on June 2, 2026 the Municipal Accountability Act, 2026 (Bill 9) received Royal Assent. Bill 9 is one of the most significant municipal governance reforms in recent years, and according to many does not go far enough. Among other changes, Bill 9 authorizes the Province to establish a standardized code of conduct for members of council and local boards and contemplates mandatory training and education requirements for elected officials. The legislation also creates a new process for addressing serious code of conduct violations. Under the new framework, matters may ultimately be referred to the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario, who can recommend that a councillor be removed from office. If every eligible member of council then votes in favour of the recommendation, the councillor’s seat may be declared vacant and the individual disqualified from holding municipal office for four years. While the removal threshold is intentionally high, the legislation signals a clear shift toward increased accountability and greater consistency in conduct expectations across Ontario municipalities.
From our perspective as workplace investigators, trainers, facilitators, and advisors to municipalities, some of the most significant aspects of Bill 9 relate to the relationship between council and administration. Municipal staff are entitled to workplaces that are respectful, professional, and psychologically safe. Yet some of the most difficult workplace issues we encounter arise not between employees, but where governance issues and workplace issues intersect. The Pickering matter serves as a reminder that inappropriate conduct by elected officials can have significant workplace consequences and that maintaining respectful, professional relationships between councillors and municipal staff is essential to effective local government.
While Bill 9 introduces important new accountability measures, many questions remain unanswered. Key aspects of the legislation, including the content of the provincial code of conduct and mandatory training requirements, will be addressed through regulations that have not yet been released and may not be in place before the upcoming October elections. Time will tell whether the legislation will result in meaningful improvements to workplace culture and governance in practice. What is clear, however, is that municipalities are facing increasing expectations around accountability, respectful conduct, and workplace culture. We expect that investigations, governance reviews, training, and proactive workplace interventions will continue to play an important role as municipalities adapt to this evolving landscape.