The City of Greater Sudbury’s Audit Committee voted to continue operating the Wrongdoing Hotline Tuesday, July 9.

Citizens, municipal employees and contractors can report complaints about activity that could be deemed illegal, dishonest, wasteful, or a deliberate violation of policy.

“The wrongdoer hotline fulfills a very important role of transparency and openness for the City of Greater Sudbury. It’s been in place for three years now. The complaints are being handled by the Auditor General’s office, which is very important because the Auditor General is independent of the City.” said Sudbury City Councillor Mike Jakubo.

The confidential and anonymous third-party service receives about 150 complaints a year and costs between $50,000-60,000 annually to operate.

City employees may use the service without fear of reprisal, but only in the event that a workplace issue remains unresolved after bringing it to the attention of their immediate supervisors.

Citizens should not use the service to lodge complaints about waste collection, snow plowing or by-law issues and instead should call 3-1-1 for assistance.

The hotline should not be used to file complaints about the mayor or members of city council. Those complaints should be directed to the City’s Integrity Commissioner.

While complaints may be reported anonymously, some investigations may require consent to reveal the complainant’s identity. Investigations will be conducted by the city's Auditor General’s Office, Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development, or the Chief Administrative Officer depending on the circumstance. 

Complaints are expected to be resolved within 60 to 120 calendar days depending on the complexity of the issue.

City of Greater Sudbury council chambers