In March city councillors are expected to review and possibly adopt changes to a whistleblower policy that would allow anonymous third-party reporting at city hall. Last October former councillor Shila Sharps set forth a motion to introduce an independent third-party mechanism that allows for anonymous disclosure and strengthen anti-retaliation protection for whistleblowers. Sharps also requested the city adopt an independent hotline portal to receive and triage any disclosures, as whistleblowers can often spot potential issues before they balloon into potentially larger problems. On Friday, members of the administrative and legislative review and government relations committee heard an update from staff on changes made to the policy that will be presented to council for adoption on Mar. 16. Proposed changes include: – Extend eligibility for whistleblower reporting to include contractors, suppliers and members of the public. – Introduce an independent, third-party reporting mechanism that allows for anonymous disclosures. – Strengthen anti-retaliation protections for whistleblowers. – Provide to council annual, anonymized reporting on the number and types of disclosures received, and outcomes. These changes have been identified as “best practices” in municipal government and aim to improve transparency, accountability and protection for people who disclose wrongdoings. Staff have also determined that an updated fraud policy will also be incorporated into the whistleblower...
In a combative interview with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, right-wing firebrand Tucker Carlson made a host of contentious and often demonstrably false claims that quickly went viral on...