FILE PHOTO

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Reid Hamer-Jackson

Another day, another sanction against the mayor of Kamloops.

City council decided to boot him from the Thompson Nicola Regional District board, making way for another councillor on the seven-person city roster. He's also been removed from the Kamloops Airport Society.

"The decision to rescind these appointments was not taken lightly. It comes after numerous incidents where the Mayor failed to uphold the legal and ethical standards expected of his office, including (but not limited to) numerous and ongoing violations of privacy and confidentiality obligations," a news release issued today, July 19 read.

Both appointments will be filled by another councillor until at least Oct. 19 after Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson's "persistent refusal to adhere to sound municipal governance practices," according to the release.

"Council hopes the mayor's removal from these boards is temporary, and it will review the matter in three months," the release read.

Who gets chosen to represent the city on the boards has been largely based in tradition. For the regional district, each councillor is appointed by the number of votes they got in the previous election. The mayor is added by default for not only Kamloops but every municipality.

Although it's tradition, there are no rules dictating that to be the procedure. Each council must choose who is appointed to external boards by a vote, including the regional district.

READ MORE: 12 years jail for Kamloops drug supplier

The decision to remove the mayor comes in response to council's decision to act on recommendations from municipal advisor Henry Braun, who was appointed by the province to help alleviate the conflicts around the horseshoe. He blamed the dysfunction almost entirely on Hamer-Jackson, giving both mayor and council as a whole a list of recommendations. The mayor has so far not committed to any of the recommendations provided to him alone and takes issue with Braun's conclusions.

Hamer-Jackson asserts he met one of council's demands by going to a workplace behaviour seminar, which wasn't the particular course they required of him. Aside from that, he appears not to be aware of what Braun's recommendations for him were.

"I don't really know what they're about so I would say, again, I would like to know, like, what they mean. Better communication? What are you talking about? The only person I can communicate through is councillor (Nancy) Bepple this month," he said.

The ten recommendations are publicly available in Braun's report here. They mostly focus on improving his behaviour like being open to constructive criticism and letting go of "perceived slights," while also suggesting Hamer-Jackson brush up on his understanding of the governance process, how to read official documents and his conflict resolution abilities.

READ MORE: iN VIDEO: Kamloops Mayor Hamer-Jackson 'never really' considered resigning

Coun. Bepple, deputy mayor for the month, didn't say if there have been any particular governance issues at the regional district or the airport authority. She indicated instead that the mayor's behaviour and inability to govern alongside council has remained a constant, so removing him from this roles is meant to "encourage him to look seriously" at his own behaviour.

Although Hamer-Jackson hasn't taken up Braun's recommendations, who was sent by the province to help guide city council through a dysfunctional term, the province is unlikely to save them from their own issues.

"It is up to council to decide how we're going to improve governance. The ministry is not going to impose solutions on us," Coun. Bepple said.

Council has so far temporarily cut the mayor's salary, barred him from closed door council meetings and formally called for his resignation.

Hamer-Jackson has remained staunchly opposed to their demands, even holding a resignation-related press conference which turned into campaign rally in which he admitted he never actually considered resigning at all. 

Go here for more of our coverage of Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson.

— This story was updated at 1:20 p.m., July 19, 2024, with more information and with comments from mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson and councillor Nancy Bepple.

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