Municipal Election Compliance Audit Committee

The Compliance Audit Committee is an independent body established under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 to receive, review, and determine applications for compliance audits respecting candidates’ and third‑party advertisers’ election campaign finances. The Township of Southwold participates in a joint Compliance Audit Committee together with other municipalities within Elgin County, as permitted under the Act.

The purpose of the Compliance Audit Committee is to: 

• consider compliance audit applications made by electors and decide whether they should be granted or rejected;
• appoint an auditor if the application is granted;
• receive and consider the auditor’s report;
• commence legal proceedings, if there is a contravention; and
• if no contravention, determine whether there were reasonable grounds for the application;

And to:

• consider reports of the Clerk identifying contributors to a campaign that appear to have contravened contribution limits;
• commence legal proceedings, if there is an apparent contravention.