INUVIK - As Inuvik's town council puts together a set of rules to govern councillors' conduct, at least one resident wants their freedom of expression protected.

In late December, Amanda Joynt wrote a letter to council in which she called on the town to develop a code of conduct that would prevent any "conflict of interest, perceived or real" among councillors while setting a standard "of practice during council activities, town events and municipal affairs."

Amanda Joynt: Resident who wrote a letter to council last December asking members to develop a code of conduct is happy one will be developed in a couple of months.

But Joynt added the code should deal only with town business and should not infringe on what councillors choose to do in their private lives.

"In no way am I suggesting that censorship be a part of the code of conflict," she stated in the letter.

Currently town staff members are researching code of conducts from other municipalities, including Yellowknife and Whitehorse. Mayor Denny Rodgers said a final document would be made in a month or two.

Although he welcomed the letter, Rodgers said it didn't prompt council to start work on developing the code of conduct. He said he sees it as "a vital tool for good governance."

"It's best practice, any body of government should do this," he said.

Coun. Terry Halifax got in some hot water with the previous council and some residents over controversial statements he made on his personal blog. But Joynt said that even though she didn't agree with many of Halifax's opinions, she said he should be free to exercise his freedom of speech within the law and without being afraid of repercussions from council.

If residents don't like his actions outside of council chambers, then, she said, they should simply not vote for him.

The code "should be an easy guide. When I'm conducting myself with town business this is what I do, this is what I don't do, that's it."

Inuvik Drum was unable to reach Halifax, who was away in Ottawa attending a conference.

Coun. Vince Sharpe agreed with Joynt. As a councillor, he said he should have the right to say "whatever I want, whenever I want, to whoever I want."

"I'm not bound by council's decisions," said Sharpe. "People don't elect me for that. I have an independent mind. I'm not going to wag the dog's tail. What I do in my private life has nothing to do with council, unless I'm breaking the law."

But he said council members should treat each other with respect while they work in the best interests of constituents.

According to the NWT Municipal and Community Affairs' online Community Government Toolkit, which acts as a guide for municipal governments, members of council should "speak with one voice - respect and support decisions once they are made."

Coun. Nick Saturnino also agreed the code shouldn't deal with what council members do outside of council chambers. But he stopped short of commenting on what he would like to see in the developing document.

Last month Edward Gullberg, a Yellowknife-based lawyer and municipal law expert, delivered a workshop to council centring on the Conflict of Interest Act and the purpose of a code of conduct.

The territorial government's Conflict of Interest Act sets out rules by which council members must follow to ensure they're excluded from discussions where they are in a conflict of interest.

A code of conduct generally states that council must abide by the act, but it serves primarily as a guideline to ensure council members treat one another with respect and act in the best interest of residents. It also describes penaltiesfor members who fail to abide by it.