Formal Complaints

A formal complaint is a written concern submitted to The Nation Municipality about a municipal program, service, facility, or staff member, where the resident expects the issue to be investigated and addressed according to the municipality’s Client Service and Complaint Resolution Policy.

• a service request (such as potholes, fallen trees, parking concerns, missed waste collection or another issue related to municipal services); or
• a general question, comment, opinion, feedback, suggestion or interest regarding a municipal program, service, or process.

If you wish to address one of these issues, please visit our Report a Problem page.

Certain complaints may be exempt from the formal resolution process outlined in the policy. Exemptions may include but are not limited to:

• Legal Matters: Under litigation or legal proceedings.
• Other Legislated Processes: Subject to appeal bodies or tribunals.
• Anonymous Complaints: Generally, they are not accepted unless tied to serious safety or statutory issues, but will be assessed for credibility if safety, misconduct, or legal risk is present.
• Frivolous/Vexatious Complaints: May be dismissed by the CAO with justification.
• Employee Grievances: Handled under internal HR procedures.

Step 1 – Informal Resolution: Client attempts to resolve concern directly with relevant staff.

Step 2 – Formal Complaint Submission: Complete the Formal Complaint Form using one of the following options:

Online Formal Complaint Form

Printable Formal Complaint Form [PDF/390KB]

Step 3 – Acknowledgment: Within 2 business days.

Step 4 – Investigation: By department head or designate.

Step 5 – Response: Within 10 business days or a status update.

Step 6 – Final Review: If dissatisfied, client may escalate to CAO for final review.