Watchdog not wanted The City of Mississauga should pay for the services of a Council watchdog rather than use the free services of the provincial ombudsman.Where To Get Jerseys For Cheap That's the recommendation of City staff looking into setting up a system to investigate closed-door meeting complaints, as required by a change to the Municipal Act. Local governments have until Jan. (LAS), through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). "There are several advantages to appointing LAS as investigator, " said City Solicitor Mary Ellen Bench. "First, LAS has already prepared an investigation request process for use in investigating complaints. (Secondly), its model will ensure that the investigator is independent and impartial, and will best ensure that there are sufficient, trained, professional individuals available to conduct investigations in a timely fashion. " The provincial ombudsman isn't suitable, Bench noted, because his mandate is to facilitate resolutions to complaints. "That's not in keeping with the intent of the act to investigate, not mediate, " she said. "For this reason, among others, there is concern with recommending the appointment of the ombudsman. "This is a significantly different role and one where the provincial ombudsman has no experience to draw upon. " As for Mississauga hiring investigators of its own, Bench said there would be "potential questions" given that they would be appointed by Council and sit at the pleasure of Council.Cheap NFL Nike Jerseys Marin has been embroiled in a spat with AMO over who's best suited to fill the role. He accuses AMO of having a business interest in setting up LAS to provide investigators. There's also the implication that because AMO is a voice for municipalities, it cannot be objective in investigating complaints against its members. AMO shot back that if Queen's Park can appoint its own investigator, municipalities should appoint their own rather than rely on a provincial official. Marin, meanwhile, has been accused in some quarters for having an axe to grind with municipal politicians. Critics also point out that his office might not be capable of taking on extra work due to an already-heavy provincial workload. A significant number of municipalities are going Mississauga's route. Close to home, they include the Region of Peel and Caledon. Brampton, meanwhile, remains on the fence. Some jurisdictions, most notably Hamilton and Sudbury, have elected to use Marin. The City of Ottawa and certain municipalities in northern Ontario are opting to hire a local watchdog in order to avoid paying travel costs of an LAS investigator. (LAS charges $1, 250 per day, plus travel expenses. There's also a $600,NFL Jerseys Free Shipping two-year retainer fee. ) "(The large number of municipalities that are using LAS) will ensure decisions are consistent with decisions and standards across the province, similar to the way precedents are developed by other quasi-judicial bodies, " said Bench.