An online petition calling on Delta Council to adopt a formal Council Code of Conduct Bylaw has gathered 549 verified signatures. DCC Now examined the publicly available record and asked the City and current elected officials a straightforward question: did Delta Council complete the statutory reconsideration process required under British Columbia law before January 1, 2026, and where is the public record of that decision?

The Legal Requirement

Under section 113.1 of the Community Charter, a newly elected council must decide, within six months of taking office, whether to establish a Code of Conduct — or, where one already exists, whether to review it. Separately, under section 113.2, if a council decided not to establish or review a Code of Conduct, that decision must be reconsidered before January 1 of the year of the next general local election. If the council confirms the earlier decision, it must make available to the public, on request, a statement of its reasons.

Timeline

What the Ministry Said

In correspondence reviewed by DCC Now, the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs explained that sections 113.1 and 113.2 establish a two-stage process: an initial decision following a general local election and, where the statutory conditions apply, reconsideration of that decision before January 1 of the year of the next general local election. The Ministry made clear it was providing general information about the statutory framework and was not making a determination about whether the City of Delta had complied with the Community Charter.

"If the council decided not to establish or review a code of conduct, they must reconsider that decision before January 1 of the year of the next general local election." — Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs

What the City Said

The City of Delta did respond in writing through the Director of Legislative Services (May 26 – June 1, 2026). In that correspondence, the City:

• Pointed to Bill 17 (introduced April 2, 2026), which contemplates a future province-wide mandatory code of conduct after the 2026 local government election; and
• Provided a copy of the City’s existing Code of Ethics (signed November 7, 2022), described as self-enforcing guidelines.

After the inquiry was clarified as a request for section 113.2 reconsideration records — not a copy of the Code of Ethics — the Director wrote: “I have nothing further to offer at this time.”

The correspondence reviewed did not identify a specific Council agenda, staff report, minutes, resolution, or publicly available statement of reasons documenting a reconsideration under section 113.2 before January 1, 2026.

Timeline note: Section 113.2 required any applicable reconsideration before January 1, 2026. Bill 17 was introduced on April 2, 2026 — after that deadline. A bill introduced in April cannot itself constitute or replace a reconsideration that, if required, had to occur before January 1.

Responses from Elected Officials and Electoral Organizations

DCC Now provided identical written questions to Mayor George Harvie (Achieving for Delta), Delta First BC, One Delta, and the City of Delta directly, giving each an opportunity to explain their interpretation of sections 113.1 and 113.2, identify any records documenting reconsideration, and state their position on adopting a formal Council Code of Conduct.