Removing public complaints toward municipal officials ‘not undemocratic’; Lohr

Members of the public can no longer complain to the province about mayors, wardens or councillors.

It’s part of changes the Nova Scotia government made to the Municipal Code of Conduct, which was put in place last October.

They say it will reduce the administrative burden and protect against potential misuse.

After cabinet meetings Thursday, Municipal affairs minister John Lohr was asked if the changes were undemocratic.

“I don’t think so, I think the reality is we didn’t have any process up until a year ago. I think there is some learning happening within the process, and we’ll continue to take a look at it,” said Lohr.

Elected officials are still able to make complaints within the same unit, but they can’t complain on behalf of someone else.

A review of the code is happening in 2027.