Thompson-Nicola Regional District chair Ken Gillis.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/TNRD

Ken Gillis won't be running for re-election at the Thompson Nicola Regional District this year.

After almost a decade on the board nearly four years as the chair of the board, the leader of the region's directors decided to step away from the upcoming municipal election, according to a news release.

During his most recent term, he married Linda Brown, mayor of Merritt, and moved to the Nicola Valley city, adding that this is his chief reason for not running again.

READ MORE: TNRD chair 'will not apologize' for withholding whistleblower letter

"However, there also comes a time when a person just knows, or should know, that it’s time to go and I want to leave knowing that my three terms have been positive for the region and for those who elected me," Gillis said in his statement to media.

He was elected to lead the board of directors four years in a row. He served three terms as the director for Area "L," which includes rural areas south of Kamloops and extends east to include Monte Lake, Westwold and Pritchard.

Gillis faced calls from other directors in recent months to resign as chair as controversy grew around a whistleblower letter he kept in confidence. He was also one of the first at the regional district calling for an investigation over its spending, which resulted in a final  forensic report in December 2021.

The letter came to him from a regional district staff member and spurred the impending spending scandal at the regional district.

READ MORE: Other local governments can learn a lot from TNRD audit: board chair

In February, Gillis would not acknowledge that the whistleblower letter even existed, but the next week he issued a press release detailing his reasons for keeping the letter from his fellow directors.

"You should also know that the writer told me: 'This is for your eyes only,'" board chair Ken Gillis wrote in a statement to media this morning, Feb. 14.

The whistleblower's letter was presented to the regional district board in December 2021, nearly two years after it was given to Gillis on Jan. 29, 2020.

The letter was briefly mentioned in a forensic audit report. According to auditors BDO Canada, it explained "numerous allegations" against former chief administrative officer Sukh Gill, and auditors focused on its spending concerns.

READ MORE: Forensic audit uncovers 'culture of intimidation' at TNRD

Among policy changes in the fallout of the spending scandal and forensic audit, the regional district now has whistleblower policies in place.

Voters are set to hit the polls in October for upcoming municipal elections across B.C. While some new or returning Kamloops city councillors may be appointed to the regional district board, others like the new Area "L" director will be directly elected.

“I’m certain no one ever accomplishes all he or she sets out to do at any level of government. Nevertheless, I look around our area and at our organization itself with a sense of satisfaction that my term in office has led to substantial improvements," Gillis said. "Finally, I must extend my heartfelt thanks to the staff at the (regional district). No director or chair can hope to get anything done without the cooperation and help of those who look after the day to day work of our regional district."

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