CITY HALL – Councillors reverse mayor’s order, lift McCorkell’s suspension

Acting City of Kamloops CAO Byron McCorkell has been re-instated after a short-lived suspension.

Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson suspended McCorkell on Tuesday but the other eight members of council reversed the suspension in a special closed meeting today (Thursday, March 28, 2024) and announced the decision in a news release this evening.

The session began with an open meeting at 3 p.m. that was required in order to approve the closed meeting. Hamer-Jackson is travelling and wasn’t present.

Coun. Mike O’Reilly, the deputy mayor for March, chaired the meeting and opened it by saying that McCorkell had not requested the special meeting. Councillors were there because of “a very important matter that needs to be dealt with,” he said.

Coun. Dale Bass then made the motion to move the meeting in camera, with Coun. Margot Middleton seconding. The open meeting, which took two minutes, was then adjourned.

Here’s the statement released following the closed meeting:

Acting CAO Reinstated to Active Duties

Kamloops, BC—At this afternoon’s Special Council Meeting that was called in response to Mayor Hamer-Jackson’s surprise suspension of acting CAO Byron McCorkell, the following resolution was passed:

In accordance with subsection 151(2)(a) of the Community Charter, effective immediately, Byron McCorkell is reinstated to active duties as the City’s Acting CAO / Community and Culture Director.

Mayor Hamer-Jackson was unable to attend the Special Council Meeting, citing personal reasons and, as such, was not included in the vote. The resolution was passed with a vote of 8-0.

The Mayor’s suggestion that some Councillors would be in a conflict of interest and unable to participate in this matter because their family members work for the City is without legal merit. In a situation involving the pecuniary interest of a family members or other conflicts, individual Council members have an obligation to recuse themselves. That is not the case in this instance.

City Council and staff welcome CAO McCorkell back to his active duties, where, during his long tenure, he has consistently demonstrated excellence in leadership, and acted with integrity and enthusiasm on behalf of the community.