Ombuds Services

Waterloo Area Municipal Ombuds Office

The Region of Waterloo, together with the Townships of Woolwich, Wilmot, and the Cities of Waterloo and Cambridge have contracted Agree Incorporated to provide ombuds services. The ombuds office will independently receive, review and investigate complaints, provide periodic updates on investigations and produce an annual report. The ombuds acts at arm's length from Regional council and the corporation.

The Waterloo Area Municipal Ombuds Office will hear unresolved complaints from members of the public when all other processes have been exhausted. You may be able to resolve your complaint directly with the Region of Waterloo. We can direct you to the appropriate local officials and help you to follow our internal procedure. If you have not taken steps to resolve your issue with the Region directly or followed our customer service feedback procedure, the Waterloo Area Municipal Ombuds Office will refer you back to the Region.

When should I use the Ombuds Office?
  • Where you believe the Region has not followed appropriate procedures in arriving at a decision
  • Where you believe the Region has acted in a way that is contrary to its own rules, procedures or by-laws
  • Where you believe the Region has made a decision that is outside of its powers to make
  • Where you believe the Region has failed to take a specific action that it is required to take under its rules, procedures or by-laws
  • Where you believe a decision or recommendation made, act done or omitted to be done in the course of the administration of the Region, so long as it does not fall under the list of matters that are not within the ombuds' mandate to investigate (see below).

When should I not use the Ombuds Office?
  • Any Region decision, recommendation, act or omission in respect of which there is a right of appeal, review or objection to any court or tribunal, until that right of appeal, review or objection has been exercised, or the time for the exercise of that right has expired
  • Cases where the inquirer has not taken their complaint to the Region first
  • Decisions, recommendations, acts or omissions of a legal adviser or counsel to the Region;
  • Complaints regarding closed meetings of Regional Council - contact Regional Clerk's office
  • Complaints that are within the mandate of the integrity commissioner
  • Complaints where the subject matter is deemed to be trivial, frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of the ombuds office process or which are not made in good faith, in the opinion of the ombuds office
  • Cases where more than one year has passed since the inquirer learned the facts on which the complaint or inquiry is based, unless special circumstances exist
  • Complaints that have not gone through the Region of Waterloo's internal procedure

Vist the Waterloo Area Municipal Ombuds Office for more information or contact Agree Incorporated at:

36 Dundas St.
Dundas, ON, L9H 1A2
1-888-224-2488 (toll free)
ombuds@civicombuds.ca

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