The establishment of an election Compliance Audit Committee (CAC) is mandatory under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. The CAC considers applications requesting audits of election campaign finances, may appoint auditors, and determines whether legal proceedings are required. The appointment term of the CAC is the same as the term of Council.
The Clerks of Leeds and Grenville support a continued collaborative approach to pool resources for the establishment of the Joint Leeds and Grenville Compliance Audit Committee. This has been the practice for the past two election cycles and is led by the County Clerk/designate who will advertise for members, provide training and administrative support to any meetings of the CAC that may be requested. Members are sought from across Leeds and Grenville and are called upon depending on which municipality the complaint arises from.
Purpose of the Joint Compliance Audit Committee::
- consider whether to grant or reject a compliance audit application made by an eligible elector;
- appoint an auditor, where an application is granted;
- receive and consider the auditor's report and decide whether legal proceedings should be commenced; and
- consider reports from the Clerk identifying contributors who appear to have contradicted election contribution limits and decide whether legal proceedings should be commenced.
If an eligible elector believes, on reasonable grounds, a candidate or registered third party has contravened the rules of the MEA relating to election campaign finances, they can request a compliance audit of the candidate's or registered third party's finances.
Power and functions of the committee are found in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.
The following members have been appointed to the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville Joint Compliance Audit Committee:
- Andy Brown
- John Dickson
- Alicia Sawas
- Nigel White
The Municipality has established, along with other local municipalities, a Joint Compliance Audit Committee for 2022-2026.
The Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (the “Act”) makes the establishment of a compliance audit committee mandatory. This committee may be a joint committee. The Act states that a qualified elector who believes on reasonable grounds that a candidate or registered third party has contravened a provision of the Act relating to election campaign finances may apply for a compliance audit of the candidate’s or the registered third party’s election campaign finances.
Requesting An Audit
To file an application for a compliance audit request of a candidate or registered third party’s election campaign finances:
- Complete the application for an Election Compliance Audit providing reasons and supporting documentation.
- File the application with the Clerk by:
Dates and details on filing of financial statements, including grace periods and extensions can be found on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s website.
Requests for audits for school board candidates must be filed with the applicable school board.
Audit process
Within 30 days after receiving the application, the Compliance Audit Committee will consider the application and determine if an audit is required or if the application is rejected.
The decision of the Committee regarding whether an audit is required or If the application is rejected, may be appealed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice within 15 days after the decision is made.
If the Committee grants the audit, the auditor will conduct the audit to determine if the candidate or registered third party has complied with the election campaign finance provisions of the Act.
The auditor will provide a report to the Clerk, the applicant and the candidate or third party.
The Committee will consider the report within 30 days of receiving it, and will determine whether legal proceedings should be commenced against the candidate or third party.