Council votes to re-establish Surrey Ethics Commissioner Office

Surrey, B.C. – Surrey City Council voted to re-establish a Surrey Ethics Commissioner Office during its Regular Council Meeting on Monday night.

“I am thrilled that Council has moved to restore the Surrey Ethics Commissioner Office. Its closure should never have occurred,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “The search for a new Ethics Commission will begin immediately. Residents can have confidence that issues or concerns brought forward regarding the ethical behaviour of elected officials will be investigated in a thorough and timely manner. This is another step forward in restoring accountability and integrity on Surrey City Council. Residents deserves a Council that is open, transparent and ethical above all else.”

On Monday, Council voted to establish a Selection Committee to recruit a Surrey Ethics Commissioner instead of re-appointing the former Commissioner. The Selection Committee will be comprised of five voting members and one non-voting member as follows:

• Three members of the public; 
• Two City of Surrey Council Members; and
• One Legal Professional (non-voting member).

Surrey Council first adopted the Council Code of Conduct Bylaw in May, 2020 and appointed a Surrey Ethics Commissioner that took effect last July. The term of the Commissioner ended on July 13, 2022 after the previous Council directed staff not to appoint a new Ethics Commissioner. The previous Council also amended the Code of Conduct Bylaw to suspend the processing of complaints between April 12, 2022 and the civic election. The decision on future of the Ethics Commissioner’s office was deferred to the newly elected Council.

The Surrey Ethics Commissioner is an independent officer that performs advisory and educational functions in relation to administering the Code of Conduct and assisting Council Members in understanding their ethical obligations. The Ethics Commissioner has the power to investigate allegations of misconduct in relation to Mayor and Council, report their findings to Council and provide recommendations to Council as to the appropriate sanction or discipline. Learn more about the Surrey Ethics Commissioner Office.