THUNDER BAY — The integrity commissioner for the City of Thunder Bay has ruled that McIntyre Ward Councillor Albert Aiello was in conflict of interest when he voted on a motion regarding city funding during budget deliberations last winter.
However, the commissioner found no evidence that his actions were "other than well-intentioned and in service of the broader public interest," so there is no recommendation for punitive sanctions against Aiello.
In January and February, he participated in votes on whether to reduce funding to the Thunder Bay Public Library by $50,000 in order to add money to the Community, Youth and Cultural Fund.
Principles Integrity, the city's interim integrity commissioner, received a complaint that Aiello had a conflict of interest because of his position as executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Thunder Bay.
The club receives some of its funding from the Community, Youth and Cultural Fund, which also supports other organizations such as the Lakehead Social Planning Council and Evergreen.
In a report prepared for the city, the integrity commissioner noted that Aiello has been careful to declare a conflict of interest and recuse himself whenever decisions regarding allocations from the fund come before council.
He explained to the investigator that, while he was aware that he has an interest in the distribution of grants out of the fund, he didn't realize that decisions to allocate money into the fund could also put him in a position of conflict of interest.
Aiello argued that, in this instance, the pecuniary interest for the Boys and Girls Club should be excused under a provision in provincial law that allows for situations where an interest is "so remote or insignificant in its nature that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence the member."
However, the integrity commissioner found that he had contravened both the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and the city's Code of Conduct.
While not recommending punitive sanctions, Principles Integrity said Aiello should receive training for avoiding conflicts of interest between his employment and his role as an elected official.
It also said the entire Council should undertake training on the Code of Conduct.
