City of Niagara Falls

The Ombudsman received a complaint that council for the City of Niagara Falls discussed and voted on the sale of property in camera. The complainant alleged that the discussion was not permitted in closed session because the sale price was established, such that the municipality did not have a bargaining position to protect. The Ombudsman found that the discussion fit with the exception, as no final decision had been made about whether or not to accept the offer. The Ombudsman also found that council did not vote on the matter in camera. A number of best practice recommendations were provided to the municipality, including with respect to the content of minutes and the quality of audio recordings.
 

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