Joint Compliance Audit Committee
The Joint Compliance Audit Committee will serve all fourteen municipalities in Hastings County and will have full delegation of authority under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, to address applications requesting an audit of a candidate’s and a registered third party advertiser’s election campaign finances. This authority includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Review applications and grants or rejects audit requests
- Where an audit is granted, appoint an auditor and review the audit report
- Where indicated, decide whether legal proceedings shall be commenced
The Joint Compliance Audit Committee will consist of members that have the ability to understand and apply the election campaign finance provisions of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 and must be impartial with respect to their ability to fulfill their responsibilities.
Joint Compliance Audit Committee
The Corporations of the Townships and Municipalities of Hastings County are seeking applicants for a Joint Hastings County 2026 Election Compliance Audit Committee for the 2026 Municipal Election. The Committee will serve all fourteen municipalities.
Purpose of the Joint Compliance Audit Committee
The Committee has the full authority, provided by Sections 88.33 to 88.37 of the Municipal Elections Act (MEA), 1996, to address applications requesting an audit of a candidate’s or third party advertiser’s election campaign finances and to consider reports from the Clerk citing apparent instances of over-contribution to municipal campaigns. In accordance with the MEA, this authority includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Reviewing applications for a compliance audit and granting or rejecting audit requests within 30 days of receipt;
- Where an audit is granted, appoint an auditor and review the audit report;
- Following the audit, decide whether legal proceedings shall be commenced;
- Within 30 days after receiving a report from the Clerk, under Sections 88.34 and 88.36 (dealing with apparent campaign contributions in excess of permitted limits), the Compliance Audit Committee shall meet to consider the report and decide whether to commence a legal proceeding against a contributor for an apparent contravention, if applicable; and
- If the auditor’s report indicates that there were no apparent contraventions and if there appears that there were no reasonable grounds for the application, advise Council on how to proceed. Council would then decide whether to recover the auditor’s costs from the applicant
Applicant Preferred Qualifications
Committee members must have the ability to understand and apply the election campaign finance provisions of the Municipal Act and must be considered impartial with respect to their ability to fulfill their responsibilities. Preference shall be given to applicants with experience in accounting, law, and law enforcement.
The Municipal Elections Act, 1996, as amended, prohibits members of Council, a local board, staff of the respective municipalities, candidates, and Registered Third Party Advertisers from serving on this Committee.
Individuals who have run for office in Municipal Elections for any of the participating municipalities, or who have conducted audits or provided financial advice with respect to Municipal Elections for any of the participating municipalities or candidates will be disqualified.
Terms of Reference
Composition
The Committee shall be composed of not less than three (3) and no more than five (5) voting members, appointed by Council prior to October 1 of an election year.
See Terms of Reference for additional eligibility requirements.
Remuneration
The remuneration will be an established per diem rate of $150 per meeting, plus mileage at the current CRA rate of per kilometer.
Application Process
Interested persons are invited to fill out the Application and provide qualifications and a resume outlining your experience.
Application Deadline
Applications will be received in the Clerk’s office at Tyendinaga, 859 Melrose Road, RR#1, Shannonville, ON K0K 3A0 or by email at [email protected] until 4:00 p.m. on Friday May 29, 2026.