Carlow Mayo examines complaint policy

October 2, 2026

By Michael Riley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

At their meeting on Sept. 8, Carlow Mayo Township council received a report from Deputy Clerk Sabrina Anderson regarding the township’s complaint policy.

Anderson presented her report to council at their Sept. 8 meeting, and revealed that a complaint policy is an important tool for supporting accountable, transparent and consistent municipal service delivery and concerns or complaints that may arise from time to time.

“Establishing a formal policy ensures that complaints are received, documented, reviewed, and resolved in a fair and timely manner. A complaint policy also helps set expectations for both the public and municipal staff by outlining how complaints should be submitted, what information is required, how the Township will respond, and how matters will be escalated when necessary. This promotes consistency in decision-making, reduces uncertainty, and helps ensure that similar concerns are handled in a similar manner across all departments. Having a policy in place further supports good governance by creating a record of complaints and responses, identifying recurring issues, and providing opportunities for service improvement. It demonstrates the Township’s commitment to listening to the public, addressing concerns respectfully, and strengthening trust between the municipality,” she says.

Anderson attached the draft complaint policy to the council agenda for council’s perusal, and if they approved, staff would bring forth a bylaw for adoption at next month’s meeting.

Council subsequently approved the draft complaint policy and Anderson and staff will bring a bylaw to the October meeting for possible passage. The draft complaint policy provided for council’s deliberation can be found in the Sept. 8 council agenda package at www.carlomayo.ca.

Anderson told The Bancroft Times on Sept. 15 that a resolution was passed by council to direct staff to bring forward the complaint policy to the Oct. meeting.

“A complaint policy is an important tool for supporting consistent procedures around municipal service delivery.”