Auditor General of the City of Ottawa
Reporting on the delegated powers in Schedule C: the clerk’s report for 2024 carries no entry on them.
The letter ·
Reporting on delegated authority under Schedule C of the Delegation of Authority By-law - Danilo Dzyuban
Hello,
This asks the Office of the Auditor General to look at one reporting requirement in the Delegation of Authority By-law.
On 16 September 2026 the City Clerk wrote to me that the Flag Protocol Procedures are a corporate administrative policy. She holds the delegated authority to approve, amend and rescind such policies under Schedule C, section 1.3 of the Delegation of Authority By-law. She also wrote that the exercise of delegated authority is reported to the appropriate Standing Committee at least once in each calendar year.
Those procedures carry 3 revisions: Executive Committee on 3 December 2014, City Clerk on 9 October 2017, City Clerk on 21 January 2020. The Clerk has written to me that the Executive Committee of 2014 was a body of city staff, not a committee of Council.
The Office of the City Clerk 2024 Annual Report, ACS2025-OCC-GEN-0003, went to the Finance and Corporate Services Committee on 1 April 2025. It reports on the Archives, Council and Committee Services, the Elections Office, the Information Management Branch, MFIPPA, and the exercise of delegated authority as head of the municipality under the Ombudsman Act. No corporate administrative policy approved, amended or rescinded by the City Clerk appears anywhere in it. The report states: "This report fulfills reporting requirements under the by-law."
3 questions follow. Which document carried to a Standing Committee the exercise of the authority under Schedule C, section 1.3, for 2017, for 2020 and for 2024? Where no such document exists for a year, does your Office treat the reporting requirement as met for that year? Will the exercise of delegated authority under Schedule C go into the audit workplan?
The Clerk states the authority is hers. The by-law states that its exercise is reported to elected members. The annual report does not carry it.
I ask for your answer by 20 October 2026. The answer will be published with the name and title of the person who gives it, and it goes to the Audit Committee and to Council.
Respectfully,
Danilo Dzyuban
Ottawa, Ontario [postal code]
The answer ·
Good day,
Thank you for your email.
Please be advised that the OAG undertakes:
1. investigations pertaining to allegations of fraud, waste, or serious wrongdoing in accordance with the City’s Fraud and Waste Hotline Policy<https://www.oagottawa.ca/media/xxcgw1rl/fraud-and-waste-policy-docx-2.pdf>;, and
2. audits of systemic issues across the City’s programs and services and its municipally controlled corporations.The OAG uses a risk-based audit planning process to prioritize and select a limited number of audits each year by assessing auditable areas across the City to maximize value, accountability, and the effective use of public funds. More information can be found here: 2026-2027 AUDIT WORK PLAN<https://media-002-ca.cdn.govstack.com/oagottawa-010-ca/media/abmpoesu/2026-2027-audit-workplan_en-2-final-ua.pdf>;. Additionally, please be advised that, per the Auditor General By-Law<https://www.oagottawa.ca/about-the-oag/auditor-general-by-law/>;, the Auditor General does not have operational decision-making authority.