Chatham-Kent’s integrity commissioner is setting the record straight after some members of council claimed that the municipal code of conduct was being weaponized against elected officials.
In an annual report coming to council on Monday, Integrity Commissioner Suzanne Craig said these members of council have expressed that they view the Code of Conduct complaint process as “weapons” that have been used to silence their freedom of expression.
Councillors Alysson Storey and Rhonda Jubenville were both reprimanded by their council colleagues in 2025, following separate investigations and recommended sanctions by CK’s integrity commissioner.
Craig emphasized that her position remains entirely independent, and the purpose of the code of conduct is to maintain public confidence in council as a governing body.
“The code is neither an impediment to freedom of expression nor a weapon to stifle members expressing their opinions and perspectives,” she said in her report to council. “The code is an operational and governance reset tool. It’s not a mechanism to ‘get someone in trouble’ or silence someone with the assistance of the integrity commissioner.”
The current code of conduct was determined and approved by CK Council on December 16, 2024, to facilitate good governance, Craig said.
Integrity commissioners are mandated by the province of Ontario to independently and objectively apply the rules of the code when investigating complaints and determining the appropriate remedy for inappropriate behaviour, with a goal of restoring public confidence.
“Where a member of council has concerns regarding the exercise of that mandate, the appropriate course is not to question the commissioner’s ability to assess whether her Office is being influenced by political considerations, nor to impugn her qualifications based on the manner in which investigations have been conducted,” said Craig.
She noted that council retains the authority to review and, if it is deemed appropriate, terminate the appointment of an integrity commissioner in accordance with the governing agreement.
According to the annual integrity commissioner report, Craig received nine formal complaints in 2025. Three were dismissed after a preliminary review, two were dismissed due to insufficient grounds, and two were sustained, leading to reports and recommendations to council. Investigations into the remaining two complaints are ongoing.