In this case the ombudsman will be an ombudswoman and her name is Fiona Crean. I certainly don’t envy what sounds like a Herculean task and most likely a thankless job. The job of the ombudsman is to receive and investigate complaints made by individuals against public officials and then to resolve the complaints. Considering the amount of corruption in the city, Ms Crean will most likely have her hands full. According to Ms Crean, “I’m not in the business of making decisions. I’m in the business of helping city council hold the civil service accountable. My role is to make recommendations.” That’s all fine and well, but who is going to hold city council accountable? It’s no small surprise that some members of city council are not supportive of Toronto having a new ombudsman. Their argument is that the city can’t afford the $1.2 million start up budget for the program, but you have got to believe that closer to the truth is their reluctance for anyone to be delving into their somewhat questionable practices.

In the ideal world the office of the ombudsman will be able to quickly and efficiently resolve complaints in addition to identifying problem areas that need to be dealt with. Problems that are not the purview of the ombudsman will be directed to the appropriate departments. The $1.2 million dollar budget will cover the ombudsman and a staff of seven. They will start taking complaints in late April. The office of the ombudsman does not have a website yet. However if you have any questions you may address them on email ombuds@toronto.ca or by phone at 416–392-7062.