The City of Surrey has hired an ethics commissioner to advise the municipality on operational, administrative and elected level issues.
The city said it is the first in B.C. to have such a position.
Lawyer Reece Harding has experience in municipal law, advising elected officials on responsible conduct. He has appeared on behalf of local governments in every level of court in Canada.
His role will be to act as an independent officer in advising council on operating in an open, transparent and accountable way in accordance with the council’s code of conduct, a February report to council said.
Harding’s mandate also includes the authority to investigate complaints and make disciplinary recommendations.
Harding is a partner with Young, Anderson law firm, which has offices in Vancouver and Kelowna.
“Reece has been in the forefront in discussing the need for reforms around elected official responsible conduct in British Columbia local government,” the firm said in announcing the appointment.
Harding has a BA from Simon Fraser University and in law from UBC 1992, articling with B.C’s attorney general. He was called to the B.C. bar in August 1993.
Harding’s practice focuses primarily on local government law litigation, but includes aboriginal law, assessment and taxation law, natural hazard risk avoidance, governance advice, mediation and police law. In 2014, he completed his training as a mediator through the Justice Institute of BC.
Harding is a member of the municipal law subsection of the BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association and instructs, as a guest lecturer, at the Municipal Administration Training Institute. He has served on the Ministry of Environment ad hoc committee on local government liability issues arising from the contaminated sites legislation and on the advisory committee to the Attorney General providing B.C. Limitation Act amendments guidance.
Harding sees the position as 80% advisory and education, assisting council with its functions.
“It’s to help them bring up their knowledge of ethical governance,” he said. “I don’t get direction from mayor and council. I don’t get direction from senior management on how to do my job.”
Rather, Harding said, his role is to do the job as he sees fit. But, he said, “I’m not going to impose things on people. That’s not how you do business.”
“While there was no shortage of qualified candidates for the position of ethics commissioner, Reece Harding’s comprehensive experience in municipal law, advising elected officials on responsible conduct, and conflict resolution and his high standing among his peers makes him the right person to fill this important role at the City of Surrey,” Mayor Doug McCallum said.
The appointment is for an initial term of up to two-years and may be renewed for a maximum of three one-year terms.
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