The latest Essex County municipality to hire Toronto lawyer Robert Swayze to act as integrity commissioner is Leamington.
Town council approved a motion to appoint Swayze, even though Mayor John Paterson doesn't think this council really needs an integrity commissioner.
"This council of ours works extremely well together and is following the rules," says Paterson.
However, Paterson admits future councils may not be as collaborative, and since Swayze won't charge a retainer fee, there's no cost to the town unless there's a complaint.
If there is a complaint, Paterson says it'll be cheaper to have an integrity commissioner investigate than the Ontario ombudsman.
"Having the ombudsman get involved in municipal business has proven in many instances to be difficult," he says. "Time-consuming, and while you don't pay for the ombudsman, the staff time that is absorbed becomes quite costly."
Essex, Amherstburg, Tecumseh and Kingsville have already appointed Swayze as Integrity Commissioner, and the County of Essex is considering plans to do so too.
