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(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Ten people who led an effort to disqualify a Kamloops city councillor on the basis of conflict of interest are on the hook for more than $18,000 in legal bills.

A judge ordered the petitioners to pay the City of Kamloops' and Coun. Mike O'Reilly's legal expenses after they failed to convince a judge O'Reilly would benefit from a City project he voted on.

They're now trying to raise $18,192 in donations for those combined fees, according to an online fundraiser. It collected $270 from four donors as of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, June 12.

Bronwen Scott, who helped the 10 petitioners in their legal challenge, created the fundraiser Wednesday.

They launched the claim in September 2024 in reaction to a new multi-million-dollar arena set to be built near Kenna Cartwright Park. They claimed O'Reilly, whose company owns the Iron Mask industrial park four kilometres away, likely stood to gain from its location and was in a conflict of interest as he voted on the plan in a council committee.

BC Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Ball dismissed the petition in May, finding they filed the petition past the legal deadline. Even if he did not toss it because of the missed deadline, he went on to describe the evidence as inadequate, inadmissible and filled with conjecture.

After dismissing the disqualification effort, he ruled the ten petitioners should pay the legal fees incurred by both the City and O'Reilly.

According to Scott's online fundraiser, the ten petitioners "aren't rich" and are "being punished" by the judge. She also said most are retired and on pensions. Scott initially attempted to act as agent for the petitioners in court, but couldn't continue as she is not a lawyer. One of the ten, former city councillor Denis Walsh, then took over to represent the collective in court.

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