This consolidation is unofficial and is for reference only.

For the official version of the regulations, consult the original documents on file with the Office of the Registrar of Regulations , or refer to the Royal Gazette

Part II .

Regulations are amended frequently.

Please check the list of Regulations by Act to see if there are any recent amendments to these regulations filed with our office that are not yet included in this consolidation.

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this electronic version, the Office of the Registrar of Regulations assumes no responsibility for any discrepancies that may have resulted from reformatting.

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Code of Conduct for Village Elected Officials Regulations

made under

Section 520 of the

Municipal Government Act

S.N.S. 1998, c. 18

N.S. Reg. 220/2024 (effective October 20, 2024),

amended to N.S. Reg. 213/2025 (effective October 7, 2025)

Table of Contents

Please note: this table of contents is provided for convenience of reference and does not form part of the regulations.

Click here to go to the text of the regulations .

Interpretation

Citation

Definitions

Code of Conduct

Application

Adoption of code of conduct and notice to Minister

When code of conduct applies

Code of conduct training

Complaint and Investigation Process

Requirements for investigator

Complaints

Complaints during elections

Initial complaint process

Confidentiality

Reporting on investigation

Investigator report on failing to comply with sanction

Determinations

Conflict of interest—village commissioner present at meeting

Public record

The commission determination final

Sanctions and Sanction Framework

Sanctions framework

Sanctions for contravention of code of conduct

Schedule “A”—Model Code of Conduct for Municipalities

Title

Definitions

General purpose

Interaction with laws and policies

Guiding principles

General conduct

Confidential information

Gifts and benefits

Use of village property, equipment and services

Building, development, planning, or procurement proposals before commission

Improper use of influence

Business relations

Employment of persons closely connected to village commissioners

Fairness

Adherence to policies, procedures, bylaws and other laws

Respect for commission as a decision-making body

Communicating on behalf of commission

Interactions of commission with staff and service providers

Respectful interactions

Reprisals

Interpretation

Citation

1 These regulations may be cited as the Code of Conduct for Village Elected Officials

Regulations .

Definitions

2 In these regulations,

“Act” means the Municipal Government Act ;

“code of conduct training” means online training on the village’s code of conduct

developed by the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities and approved by the

Minister, or other training approved by the Minister;

“complaint” means a complaint regarding an alleged breach of the code of

conduct;

“elected official” means a village commissioner;

“investigator” means a person or entity appointed by a village under subsection

408AD(1) of the Act to receive and investigate complaints;

“model code of conduct” means the model code of conduct prescribed in

Schedule

“A”.

Code of Conduct

Application

(1) The code of conduct referred to in these regulations is a code of conduct

established under

Section 408AB of the Act.

(2) The code of conduct applies to elected officials at all times and in all locations.

Adoption of code of conduct and notice to Minister

(1) A village must adopt the model code of conduct on or before December 19, 2024.

(2) A village must report to the Minister and provide a notice confirming adoption of

the model code of conduct on or before December 19, 2024.

When code of conduct applies

(1) The code of conduct applies to each village commissioner from the time that they

are declared elected until the earliest of the following:

(

a) the date of their resignation;

(

b) the date they are disqualified from office;

(

c) the date their successor is sworn into office, or the date of the meeting at

which a successor would have been sworn into office if there is no

successor.

(2) The code of conduct does not apply to action or conduct that occurred before the

earlier of the following dates:

(

a) date that the code is adopted by a village;

(

b) December 19, 2024.

Code of conduct training

5A

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), an elected official must complete code of

conduct training no later than 30 days after the date that they are declared elected.

(2) An elected official who is in office when this

Section comes into force must

complete code of conduct training no later than 30 days after April 1, 2025.

Complaint and Investigation Process

Requirements for investigator

(1) An investigator must have experience conducting investigations and applying the

principles of natural justice and procedural fairness.

(2) If an investigator receives multiple complaints about the same subject matter, the

investigator must consolidate the complaints and investigate them together, unless

doing so would compromise the principles of natural justice or procedural fairness.

(3) A village must publish an investigator’s contact information on its publicly

accessible website or post notice of it in conspicuous places in the village.

(4) A village must ensure that no conflict of interest exists between the investigator

and the parties involved in a complaint.

Complaints

(1) A complaint may only be made by a village commissioner in the village in which

the subject of the complaint is a village commissioner.

(2) A village commissioner may not submit a complaint on behalf of any other person

or entity.

(3) A complaint must be made to an investigator no later than 6 months after the date

that the complaint is discovered.

(4) For the purposes of this Section, a complaint is discovered on the following

applicable date:

(

a) the date that the complainant first knew or ought reasonably to have known

that the village commissioner’s conduct or action was potentially in breach

of the code of conduct;

(

b) for conduct or an action that is continuous, the date that the village

commissioner’s action or conduct ceases;

(

c) for conduct or a series of actions that is repeated, the date that the village

commissioner’s last conduct or action in the series occurs.

Complaints during elections

(1) A complaint brought forward between nomination day, if a village has a

nomination bylaw under

Section 410 of the Act, and election day must not be

investigated until the election is concluded.

(2) An investigation in progress on an election’s nomination day, if a village has a

nomination bylaw under

Section 410 of the Act, must continue, but may be paused

between nomination day and election day.

(3) An investigation in progress for a complaint made about the conduct of an elected

official will not continue if the official is not re-elected.

Initial complaint process

(1) An investigator must notify the clerk whenever a complaint is received.

(2) An investigator must determine if there is merit to a complaint and then take 1 of

the following actions:

(

a) notify the clerk that it is dismissed in accordance with subsection 408AD(3)

of the Act;

(

b) if the investigator finds that the complaint has merit, the investigator must

(

i) notify the village commissioner who is the subject of the complaint

that a complaint has been made about them, and that it is proceeding

to an investigation, and

(ii) begin their investigation and notify the commission in camera of the

fact that a complaint is proceeding to the investigation phase.

Confidentiality

10 An investigator must protect the confidentiality of all of the following to the greatest

extent possible, while still applying the principles of natural justice and ensuring

procedural fairness:

(

a) the complainant;

(

b) all persons who are the subject of the complaint;

(

c) all persons involved in the investigation.

Reporting on investigation

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), the report on the investigation required by

subsection 408AD(2) of the Act to be presented to the commission must be

presented no later than 6 months after a complaint is made.

(2) The commission may grant an investigator additional time to present a report in

exceptional circumstances, including a delay caused by a village election period.

(3) A village commissioner who is the subject of a complaint must be given an

opportunity to review and respond to the information in an investigator’s report,

and to make submissions to the commission before the commission determines

whether there was a breach of the code of conduct.

Investigator report on failing to comply with sanction

12 Despite Sections 9, 10 and 11, if a village commissioner fails to comply with a sanction

as required by the code of conduct, the investigator is not required to conduct an

investigation but must present a report to the commission with a recommendation on an

appropriate sanction.

Determinations

13 After receiving the investigator’s report and hearing any submissions from any village

commissioner who is the subject of the complaint, the commission must determine if a

breach occurred and any appropriate sanctions to impose in accordance with Sections 17

and 18.

Conflict of interest—village commissioner present at meeting

14 If a village commissioner who is the subject of a complaint or who has made a complaint

under the code of conduct is present at a commission meeting at which the complaint is

discussed, the commissioner must

(

a) withdraw from their place as a village commissioner and take 1 of the

following applicable actions while the complaint is being considered:

(

i) for a closed meeting, leave the room where the meeting is held,

(ii) for a meeting that is open to the public, either

(

A) leave the room where the meeting is held, or

(

B) attend only in part of the room set aside for the general public;

and

(

b) not vote on any issue related to the complaint.

Public record

15 After a commission’s determination of a complaint, the commission must make a record

that is open to the public outlining all of the following:

(

a) the

section of the code of conduct under which the complaint was made;

(

b) the investigator’s recommendations;

(

c) the commission’s determination and any sanction imposed.

The commission determination final

16 A commission’s determination regarding a complaint is final and binding on all parties.

Sanctions and Sanction Framework

Sanctions framework

17 A commission must consider all of the following criteria before imposing a sanction on a

village commissioner for a contravention of the code of conduct:

(

a) the nature of the contravention;

(

b) the length or persistence of the contravention;

(

c) whether the village commissioner’s contravention was intentional;

(

d) whether the village commissioner has taken any steps to remedy the

contravention;

(

e) whether the village commissioner has previously contravened the code of

conduct;

(

f) any external factors that are relevant to the village commissioner’s

contravention, including personal issues and health issues;

(

g) the resources necessary to fulfilling the village commissioner’s

responsibilities as a village commissioner.

Sanctions for contravention of code of conduct

(1) The sanctions to be imposed by the commission under 408E of the Act may

include 1 or more of the following prescribed sanctions:

(

a) a letter of formal reprimand or warning;

(

b) a requirement that the village commissioner provide a letter acknowledging

their contravention and an apology no later than 15 days after the date the

commission imposes the sanction;

(

c) a requirement that the village commissioner attend training that is

appropriate to address the action or conduct that contravened the code of

conduct;

(

d) a public censure;

(

e) limiting the village commissioner’s access to certain local government

facilities, equipment or property;

(

f) suspending or removing the village commissioner as chair or vice-chair of

the commission or the chair of any committee;

(

g) suspending or removing the village commissioner, for a period of no longer

than 6 months, from some or all village committees or boards;

(

h) limiting the village commissioner’s participation on behalf of a village;

(

i) limiting the village commissioner’s travel or expense reimbursement on

behalf of a village;

(

j) a fine of up to $1000 per contravention of the code of conduct, that must be

paid no later than 6 months after the date that the commission imposes the

sanction;

(

k) reducing the village commissioner’s remuneration, for a period of no longer

than 6 months;

(

l) requiring the village commissioner to repay any direct monetary loss

realized by a village as a result of the village commissioner’s contravention,

in an amount determined by the investigator;

(

m) requiring the village commissioner to repay any direct monetary gain they

obtained as a result of their contravention, in an amount determined by the

investigator.

(2) A village commissioner who is determined by the commission to have contravened

the code of conduct must complete additional code of conduct training.

Schedule “A”—Model Code of Conduct for Municipalities

prescribed by the Minister under subsection 520(1) of

Chapter 18 of the Acts of 1998,

the Municipal Government Act

Title

1 The title of this code of conduct is the Code of Conduct for Elected Officials of the

[insert name of village] .

Definitions

2 In this Code, the following

definitions apply:

“Act” means the Municipal Government Act ;

“clerk” means the clerk of the village;

“closely connected” to a village commissioner, means any of the following:

(

i) a family member of the village commissioner,

(ii) an agent of the village commissioner,

(iii) a business partner of the village commissioner,

(iv) an employer of the village commissioner;

“Code” means the Code of Conduct for Elected Officials of the [insert name of

village, as in title] ;

“commission” means the commission of the village;

“complaint” means a complaint regarding an alleged breach of the Code;

“confidential information” includes any information in the possession of the village

that the village is prohibited from disclosing pursuant to legislation, court order or

by contract, or is required to refuse to disclose under

Part XX of the Act or other

legislation, or that pertains to the business of the village and is generally considered

to be of a confidential nature, including information about any of the following:

(

i) the security of the village’s property,

(ii) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land or other

property,

(iii) a tender that has or will be issued but that has not been awarded,

(iv) contract negotiations,

(

v) employment and labour relations,

(vi) draft documents and legal instruments, including reports, policies,

bylaws and resolutions, that have not been deliberated in a meeting

open to the public,

(vii) law enforcement matters,

(viii) litigation or potential litigation, including matters before

administrative tribunals,

(ix) advice that is solicitor-client privileged;

“discrimination” has the same meaning as in the Human Rights Act ;

“elected official” means a village commissioner;

“family member” means, in relation to a person, any of the following, and includes

a step-family member:

(

i) spouse,

(ii) parent or guardian,

(iii) child,

(iv) sibling,

(

v) sibling of a parent,

(vi) child of a sibling,

(vii) grandchild,

(viii) grandparent,

(ix) parent-in-law,

(

x) sibling-in-law,

(xi) spouse of a child;

“harass” has the same meaning as in the Human Rights Act ;

“investigator” means a person or entity appointed by a village under subsection

408AD(1) of the Act to receive and investigate complaints;

“poisoned environment” means an environment where harassing or discriminatory

conduct causes significant and unreasonable interference with a person’s work

environment;

“sexual harassment” has the same meaning as in the Human Rights Act .

General purpose

(1) The purpose of this Code is to set out the expectations for the behaviour of village

commissioners in carrying out their functions and making decisions that benefit the

constituents in their village.

(2) Nothing in this Code is intended to prevent elected officials from sharing or

expressing dissenting opinions.

Interaction with laws and policies

(1) This Code is intended to operate together with, and as a supplement to, the

applicable common law, the Criminal Code of Canada, the Act, the Municipal

Conflict of Interest Act and any other applicable legislation.

(2) This Code is intended to operate together with, and as a supplement to, the other

bylaws and policies of a village.

(3) This Code prevails in any conflict between the Code and any village resolution,

policy or bylaw.

Guiding principles

5 All of the following are the guiding principles for village commissioners’ conduct:

Collegiality : village commissioners must work together to further the best interests of the

village in an honest and honourable way.

Respect : village commissioners must demonstrate respect towards one another, the

democratic decision-making process and the role of staff. Village commissioners must

not act in a manner that negatively impacts the village or tarnishes the village’s

reputation.

Integrity : village commissioners must act lawfully and adhere to strong ethical principles

by prioritizing the village’s interests over individual interests.

Professionalism : village commissioners must create and maintain an environment that is

respectful and free from all forms of discrimination and harassment, including sexual

harassment. Village commissioners must show consideration for every person’s values,

beliefs and contributions, and support and encourage others to participate in commission

activities.

Transparency : village commissioners must be truthful and open about their decisions and

actions and make every effort to accurately communicate information openly to the

public.

Responsibility : village commissioners are responsible for the decisions that they make

and must be held accountable for their actions and outcomes. Village commissioners

must demonstrate awareness of their own conduct and consider how their words or

actions may be perceived as offensive or demeaning.

General conduct

(1) A village commissioner must be truthful and forthright and not deceive or

knowingly mislead the commission, the clerk and treasurer, staff or the public.

(2) A village commissioner must show respect for chairs of commission meetings,

chairs of committee meetings, colleagues, staff and members of the public that

present during commission meetings or other meetings of the village.

(3) A village commissioner must adhere to the direction of the chairs of meetings with

respect to rules of procedure.

(4) A village commissioner must conduct commission business and all duties in an

open and transparent manner, other than for those matters that the commission is

authorized by law to carry out in private.

(5) A village commissioner must not be impaired by alcohol or drugs while attending

any commission meeting or other meeting of the village.

(6) A village commissioner must comply with any sanction imposed under this Code,

and failing to comply with a sanction imposed is considered a breach of the Code.

Confidential information

(1) A village commissioner must not disclose or release any confidential information

to the public in oral, written or any other form, other than when required by policy

or law or authorized by the commission to do so.

(2) A village commissioner must not use confidential information for personal or

private gain or for the private gain of any other person or entity.

(3) A village commissioner must not access or attempt to access confidential

information in the custody of the village unless the information is necessary for the

performance of their duties and its access is not prohibited by legislation or by the

bylaws or policies of the village.

(4) A village commissioner must not discuss any matters relating to an active

investigation under the Code with anyone other than the investigator or their own

legal counsel, unless required by law.

Gifts and benefits

(1) A village commissioner must not accept a fee, advance, cash, gift, gift certificate or

personal benefit that is connected directly or indirectly with the performance of

their duties of office, other than the following exceptions:

(

a) gifts or benefits that normally accompany the responsibilities of office and

are received as an incident of protocol or social obligation;

(

b) a suitable memento of a function honouring the village commissioner;

(

c) sponsorships and donations for community events organized or run by a

village commissioner or by a third party on behalf of a village

commissioner;

(

d) compensation authorized by the village.

(2) A fee, advance, cash, gift, gift certificate or personal benefit paid or provided to a

person closely connected to a village commissioner, with the village

commissioner’s knowledge, is deemed to be a gift to the village commissioner.

Use of village property, equipment and services

(1) A village commissioner must not use, or request the use of, any village property,

including surplus material or equipment, for personal convenience or profit, unless

the property meets 1 of the following:

(

a) it is generally available for use by the public and the village commissioner is

receiving no special preference in its use;

(

b) it is made available to the village commissioner in the course of carrying out

commission activities and duties, and is used for purposes connected with

the discharge of commission duties.

(2) A village commissioner must not obtain, or attempt to obtain, personal financial

gain from the use or sale of intellectual property developed by the village.

(3) A village commissioner must not use information, or attempt to use information,

gained in the course of their duties that is not available to the general public for any

purposes other than carrying out their official duties.

(4) A village commissioner, or a person closely connected to a village commissioner,

must not tender on the sale of surplus village property, including old or extra

equipment.

Building, development, planning, or procurement proposals before commission

10 A village commissioner must not solicit or accept support in any form from an

individual, group or corporation with any building, development, planning or

procurement proposal before the commission.

Improper use of influence

11 A village commissioner must not use the influence of their office for any purpose other

than for the exercise of their official duties.

Business relations

(1) A village commissioner must not allow any prospect of their future employment by

a person or entity to affect the performance of their duties to the village.

(2) A village commissioner must not borrow money from any person who regularly

does business with the village, unless the person is an institution or company

whose shares are publicly traded and who is regularly in the business of lending

money.

(3) A village commissioner must not act as an agent of a person or entity before the

commission or a committee of the commission or any agency, board or committee

of the village.

Employment of persons closely connected to village commissioners

(1) A village commissioner must not attempt to influence any village employee to hire

or promote a person closely connected to the commissioner.

(2) A village commissioner must not make any decision or participate in the process to

hire, transfer, promote, demote, discipline or terminate any person closely

connected to the commissioner.

Fairness

(1) A village commissioner must not give special consideration, treatment or

advantage to any individual or entity beyond that which is given to all.

(2) A village commissioner must not give special consideration, treatment or

advantage to an organization or group because the village commissioner, or a

person closely connected to the member, is involved with the organization or

group.

Adherence to policies, procedures, bylaws and other laws

(1) Village commissioners must adhere to all applicable federal and provincial

legislation.

(2) Village commissioners must adhere to the procedures, resolutions, policies and

bylaws of the village.

(3) Village commissioners must adhere to the expense and hospitality policy of the

village.

Respect for commission as a decision-making body

(1) A village commissioner must abide by, and act in accordance with, any decision

made by the commission, whether or not the commissioner voted in favour of the

decision.

(2) A village commissioner must not encourage non-compliance with any legislation,

regulation, bylaw, resolution, policy or procedure.

Communicating on behalf of commission

(1) A village commissioner, other than the chair, must not claim to speak on behalf of

the commission unless the commissioner is authorized to do so.

(2) The chair or an individual designated by the commission may speak on behalf of

the commission and must make every effort to convey the intent of the

commission’s decision accurately.

Interactions of commission with staff and service providers

(1) A village commissioner must not direct, or attempt to direct, the clerk and treasurer

or staff other than through a direction provided by the commission as a whole.

(2) A village commissioner must be respectful of the role of the clerk and treasurer

and staff to advise based on political neutrality and objectivity and without undue

influence from any individual commissioner or group of the commission.

(3) A village commissioner must not issue instructions to any of the contractors,

tenderers, consultants or other service providers to the village unless the

commission as a whole has provided direction regarding the same.

(4) A village commissioner must not require or request that a village employee

undertake personal chores or tasks for the member that are unrelated to village

business.

(5) A village commissioner must not make public statements that are critical of

specific or identifiable village employees or service providers.

Respectful interactions

(1) A village commissioner must not engage in discrimination or harassment as

prohibited by the Human Rights Act .

(2) A village commissioner must not sexually harass any person.

(3) A village commissioner must not engage in any discriminatory or harassing action

or conduct, verbal or non-verbal, directed at 1 or more individuals or groups that

creates a poisoned environment.

Reprisals

20 A village commissioner must not undertake any act of reprisal or threaten reprisal against

a complainant in a matter under this Code or any person providing relevant information

in relation to a matter under this Code.

Legislative History

Reference Tables

Code of Conduct for Village Elected Officials

Regulations

N.S. Reg.

220/2024

Municipal Government Act

Note: The

information in these tables does not form part of the regulations and is

compiled by the Office of the Registrar of Regulations for reference only.

Source Law

The current consolidation of the Code of Conduct for Village Elected Officials Regulations made

under the Municipal Government Act includes all of the following regulations:

N.S.

Regulation

In force

date*

How in force

Royal Gazette

Part II Issue

220/2024

Oct 20, 2024

date specified

Nov 1, 2024

70/2025

Apr 1, 2025

date specified

Apr 18, 2025

213/2025

Oct 7, 2025

date specified

Oct 17, 2025

The following regulations are not

yet in force and are not included in the current consolidation:

N.S.

Regulation

In force

date*

How in force

Royal Gazette

Part II Issue

*See subsection 3(6) of the Regulations Act for

rules about in force dates of regulations.

Amendments by Provision

ad. = added

am. = amended

fc. = fee change

ra. = reassigned

rep. = repealed

rs . = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

2, defn . of “code of conduct

training” ........................................................

ad. 70/2025

5A .....................................................

ad. 70/2025

5 A( 2) ...........................................

am.

213/2025

6 ........................................................

rs . 213/2025

7 ........................................................

rs . 213/2025

13 ......................................................

am. 213/2025

18(1)(g) .............................................

am. 213/2025

18(1)(k) .............................................

am. 213/2025

Schedule “A”

2, defn . of “confidential

information”, subclause (ix) .................................

am. 213/2025 2

18(3) .................................................

am. 213/2025

Note that changes to headings are not

included in the above table.

Editorial Notes and Corrections

Note

Effective

date

Subclauses 9(2)(b)(ii)

to (iii) of original text renumbered as subclauses 9(2)(b)(

i) to (ii) for the

purposes of this consolidation.

Subclause (xi) of the definition of “confidential

information” in

Schedule “A” to the regulations in the original text renumbered as subclause (ix)

for the purposes of this consolidation.

The cross-reference in s. 9(2)(

a) to s. 23 C( 3) of the Act has been corrected to s. 408 AD( 3) of the Act for the purposes of this consolidation.

Repealed and Superseded

N.S.

Regulation

Title

In force

date

Repealed

date

Note: Only

regulations that are specifically repealed and replaced appear in this

table. It may not reflect the entire

history of regulations on this subject matter.