Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson stands in his newly-renovated office in the basement of Kamloops city hall. He continues to work elsewhere in protest of the "protective measure" to separate him from city staff.

(LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

The mayor of Kamloops won't use his new basement office at city hall, despite taxpayers spending $9,130 on the renovation.

What used to be a boardroom was repurposed when the City decided Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson had to be separated from staff. In response, he works out of his used car dealership down the street.

The entire move was unnecessary and unfair, according to Hamer-Jackson.

"The mayor's office has been the mayor's office for many, many years," he said.

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Now with boxes of legal documents in a corner and office furniture set for him, he refuses to use the basement office, which has his own entrance, a lobby, bathroom and a kitchenette.

The decision to move him from the main floor office came late last year, prompted by a security report brought to council. No details of that report have been made public, but the "protective measure" for staff came while Hamer-Jackson had four WorkSafeBC investigations against him, according to councillor Mike O'Reilly.

"I like that (old) office office. I think it's a great office. I believe I will be back in that office one of these days, possibly not with this council but possibly with a different one," Hamer-Jackson said.

He called the $9,130 spent on the work a "waste of money."

Staff reused office furniture from elsewhere to prepare the basement office. The work included a new wall, a window and some "minor" electrical work, according to Jen Fretz, who heads the City's civic operations department.

The City's privacy officer Stephanie Nichols confirmed the mayor has been warned of general privacy requirements that apply when working outside of city hall, but wouldn't say whether there have been any specific incidents raised due to his office at his used car lot.

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Hamer-Jackson didn't clearly answer when asked if any concerns about privacy or record-keeping issues have been brought to him related to meetings at his dealership Tru Market.

"A lot of meetings I have, I don't really believe these councillors at all would want to know what these people are talking about," he said. "So what would we be talking about?"

His meetings at his private West Victoria Street office don't often, if ever, include appointments with other government officials. City council last year sent letters across the province proclaiming Hamer-Jackson doesn't speak for the City or council.

Asked who he's regularly meeting with, he said it's mostly "concerned citizens."

"They're people that want to meet me. A lot of them that want to meet me, they want to talk about what's going on in the city with these councillors," he said. "As a matter of fact, a lot of them tell me they call (council) the 'hateful eight,'" he said.

He added he "gets a lot of people" who want to run for council in the future.

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