Joint Compliance Audit Committee

The Municipal Elections Act, 1996 requires all municipalities to appoint a Compliance Audit Committee. The Compliance Audit Committee is responsible for considering compliance audit requests related to election campaign finances, including:

• Considering whether an application for a compliance audit filed by an eligible voter should be granted or rejected;
• Appointing an auditor, if the application is granted;
• Receiving and considering the auditor's report and deciding whether legal proceedings should be commenced;
• Receiving and reviewing the report of the City Clerk on any apparent over-contributions by contributors to candidates' and third party advertisers' campaigns.

If an eligible voter in Richmond Hill believes on reasonable grounds that a candidate or registered third party advertiser has contravened the Municipal Elections Act with respect to municipal campaign finances, the voter may apply to have an audit of the candidate's campaign finances.

The Joint Compliance Audit Committee's term coincides with the Term of Council. The Joint Compliance Audit Committee is responsible for compliance audit requests arising out of the last Municipal Elections and any By-elections for Council offices (but not school board trustees) that occur during the ensuing Term of Council.

2024 York Region District School Board By-election

School Board Trustee Candidates

Compliance audit requests related to School Board trustee candidates are the responsibility of the Compliance Audit Committees appointed by each School Board. To request a compliance audit of a School Board candidate or for any inquires about compliance audits of School Board candidates, please contact the School Board directly at director@yrdsb.ca 

Third Party Advertisers

Requests for compliance audits of candidates or third party advertisers in the 2024 School Board By-election will be accepted in accordance with legislated timelines.

The first day to apply for a compliance audit of a preliminary financial filing is October 1, 2024, after 2:00 p.m.

Requests for compliance audits must be received by:

• January 2, 2025, for a candidate or third party advertiser who filed their financial statement by 2 p.m. on October 1, 2024;
• Within 90 days of the date on which a candidate or third party advertiser filed their financial statement if the statement was filed within 30 days of October 1, 2024; or
• June 30, 2025 if the request pertains to a supplementary financial statement for a candidate who extended their campaign due to a deficit.

Auditing Process

Third Party Advertisers

To request a compliance audit of a third party advertiser, please complete the form below and return it to the Office of the City Clerk. For more information about requesting a compliance audit, contact elections@richmondhill.ca 

2022-2026 Joint Compliance Audit Committee Request Form

The City Clerk will receive all applications and has 10 days to send the application to the Joint Compliance Audit Committee.

The Committee is required to meet within 30 days of receiving the application from the City Clerk and determine if an audit is required or if the application is rejected.

The decision of the Committee respecting the granting or rejecting an audit may be appealed to the Superior Court of Justice within 15 days of the Committee making a decision.

If the Committee grants an audit, an auditor licensed under the Public Accounting Act, 2004 will be appointed to conduct an audit. The auditor is responsible for conducting an audit to determine if the candidate has complied with the requirements of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 with regard to election campaign finances.

The auditor will submit a report to the City Clerk of the City of Richmond Hill, the candidate/third party advertiser, and the applicant.

The City Clerk has 10 days to forward the report to the Joint Compliance Audit Committee.

The Committee has 30 days to meet and consider the report from the auditor. The Committee will decide whether to commence legal proceedings against the candidate.

Meetings of the Joint Compliance Audit Committee

Meetings of the Joint Compliance Audit Committee for 2022-2026 are conducted according to the 2022-2026 Joint Compliance Audit Committee Rules of Procedure.

Meeting materials, such as notices of meetings or decisions of the Joint Compliance Audit Committee, for the 2022-2026 Term will be posted here.

A hearing has been scheduled for June 5, 2023: June 5, 2023 Hearing Notice

Agenda for June 5, 2023 hearing

Joint Compliance Audit Committee Decision

Additional Information

To learn more about the Compliance Audit Committee or for any questions, please email the Office of the Clerk.

To see general information about campaign finances and to view the financial filings of candidates and third party advertisers, please visit the Municipal Elections Financial Statements page.

Learn about elections in Richmond Hill

• Municipal Elections Act, 1996
• York Region District School Board
• York Catholic District School Board
• Conseil scolaire Viamonde
• Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir