Title with teeth
Although still in its early stages, the Region of Durham – along with other regions and municipalities across the province – is looking at getting itself an ombudsman.
The job would field complaints from the public about goings on in the regional government, and launch investigations if need be. There’s even a possibility it will go down to the municipal level, as the region is looking at potentially sharing the office with the region’s cities and towns.
There is a potential for this new position to be a good thing for the region. An official position that deals with oversight of the region and its employees and councillors could serve as a way to help keep people doing what they’re supposed to be doing. And with a more local ombudsman office, this would mean swifter investigations, as opposed to waiting for the provincial office to free up its time. After all, an office dealing with a region with a population of approximately 600,000 people can get things done quicker than a provincial office dealing with more than 20 times that.
However, this position will only serve the region and its residents well if it is given teeth and autonomy. A potential ombudsman position would be absolutely pointless – and potentially harmful – if it were seen as just an extension of the regional government, rubber-stamping any public complaints that come forward.
So in the event that regional council votes for the creation of such an office – a report is due to come to council chambers in October if the request is approved at today’s (June 24) regional council meeting – it needs to be able to stand up to the region and call a spade a spade if need be. After all, the public complaints process won’t go anywhere if the public believe that their concerns aren’t being heard in earnest.