City of Kamloops CAO David Trawin will be taking an indefinite leave from the office.

Image Credit: City of Kamloops

Some changes are coming to top-level government staff positions on both sides of the South Thompson River.

The City of Kamloops announced its chief administrative officer David Trawin is away on a personal leave, but for how long it will last hasn't been determined, according to a March 7 news release.

Byron McCorkell will take over during the leave. He's the former protective services director and was recently promoted to a newly-created role of deputy chief administrative officer.

“CAO Trawin has built an exceptional senior management team that will continue to deliver on the city’s priorities under the direction of deputy CAO McCorkell,” councillor Mike O'Reilly said in the release.

The same position at Tk'emlups te Secwepemc is up for grabs.

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Tammy Robertson, former City of Kamloops Indigenous relations manager, took the job on secondment in October.

Her job at the First Nation was set to expire by April with an opportunity to renew. It doesn't look like she'll be staying on as a job opening for the position was posted last week.

Why Trawin's on leave isn't clear and the city won't comment out of respect for his privacy.

Coun. O'Reilly didn't answer a phone call from iNFOnews.ca, and Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, who wasn't quoted in the news release, said he had no comment on Trawin's leave.

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Hamer-Jackson suggested iNFOnews.ca speak with the deputy CAO or a member of council and wouldn't answer any other questions about the matter.

What led to Trawin's leave isn't clear.

He has previously taken a lengthy leave for health reasons, but this time his motivations were not stated.

Relations between Trawin and the mayor have been rocky at best.

Hamer-Jackson has been restricted from speaking with Trawin directly without at least one other person in the room. His emails to Trawin must first be approved before they are sent.

The city's top employee was also one of those included in an employment investigation into Hamer-Jackson and his behaviour toward others at city hall, which was first reported by Kamloops This Week.

He has taken time off for multiple days at a time since the fall, with McCorkell often filling in for Trawin during council meetings, but it's the first time a leave has been announced publicly.

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