CITY HALL – Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson removed as spokesperson for City

Kamloops City councillors are shortening the leash on Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson even more by removing him as the official spokesperson for the City.

In a news release issued today (Wednesday, May 29, 2024) as a “City of Kamloops News Release” over the contact name of Coun. Kelly Hall, they revealed actions taken at a May 14 closed meeting based on the recent report from provincial advisor Henry Braun.

Following is the full text of today’s news release, and their resolutions. The release is headlined:

City Council Taking Action in Response to Provincial Advisor Henry Braun’s Report

The primary focus of City Council is to effectively govern our city and deliver services to our residents. In light of the findings outlined by Provincial Advisor Henry Braun at the May 7, 2024, Committee of the Whole meeting, Kamloops City Council has resolved to take decisive action to reinforce accountability standards and protect the interests of the residents of Kamloops and the municipal corporation.

View the Council resolutions from the May 14, 2024, Closed Council meeting.

In face of challenges, our Council remains confident in our ability to govern effectively and lead our city forward. These measures signify Council’s resolve to maintain trust and transparency in our leadership. We will move forward with confidence and continue to put the interests of the community ahead of our own, knowing our actions will reinforce ethical governance.

Council Resolutions from the May 14, 2024, Closed Council Meeting

PURSUANT TO MINISTERIAL ADVISOR HENRY BRAUN’S REPORT, including his
findings and recommendations that:

“The Mayor has not exhibited a clear understanding of his role and its limitation – as
evidenced by interactions with Council, staff and the community.”
(Top Challenge No. 11 – Misinterpretation of Roles, at page 10);

“…the Mayor has dismissed suggestions or opinions that do not align with his views.
(Top Challenge No. 1 – Resistance to Accept Responsibility or Feedback, at page 9);

“Absent significant change in how the Mayor interacts with others, I’m not optimistic that
there will be any improvement during the remainder of this term.”
(Final Observations, at page 14);

“During [Municipal Advisor Braun’s] interactions in-person or electronically, [he] often
suggested a way to ‘build bridges’ or do things differently (Chamber Speech as an
example)…[Municipal Advisor Braun] did not observe that [Mayor Hamer-Jackson] was
interested in [Municipal Advisor Braun’s] feedback or perspective.”
(Ongoing Engagement and interactions, at page 7);

“…the Mayor demonstrated a concerning discrepancy between his private admissions
and public statements.”
(Top Challenge No. 7 – Inconsistent Statements on Receipt of Important Documents, at page 9);

“The Mayor’s actions and statements suggest a significant underestimation of the
implications of his behaviour, including potential legal and reputational damage to the
council and the city.”
(Top Challenge No. 5 – Lack of Awareness of Potential Consequences, at page 9);

“The Mayor should be seeking the advice of staff and ask questions if he doesn’t
understand the content of emails and written communications. It does not appear that
the Mayor looks to staff or Council for advice or guidance.
(Top Challenge No. 8 – Understanding of Written Correspondence, at page 10);

“[Ministerial Advisor Braun has] observed that the Mayor does not understand policies
and legislation regarding declaration of conflicts.”
(Top Challenge No. 12 – Conflicts of Interest, at page 10);

AND IN LIGHT OF Mayor Hamer-Jackson’s past failure or refusal to execute municipal
corporation instruments and records: (1) as directed by Council; (2) as requested by staff; (3) in
a timely manner; and/or (4) despite his apparent personal interest in the subject-matter of the
instruments and records;

AND IN LIGHT OF Mayor Hamer-Jackson’s past failure or refusal to reflect the will of Council in
accordance with section 116(2)(g) of the Community Charter;

AND IN LIGHT OF Mayor Hamer-Jackson’s past failure or refusal to carry out other duties on
behalf of Council, such as attending ceremonies and meetings of other bodies in a manner
befitting a representative of Council and of the City of Kamloops;

Council directs as follows, subject always to applicable laws:

i) whenever Mayor Hamer-Jackson has, within forty-eight hours of being asked to
execute municipal instruments and records, neglected, or refused to do so, he
shall be deemed “absent or unable to act” within the meaning of section 9.1(a) of
the Council Procedure Bylaw No. 59 and subsection 130(3) of the Community
Charter, whereupon the Deputy Mayor for the month in question is authorized to
execute such municipal instruments and records;

ii) Mayor Hamer-Jackson has repeatedly demonstrated that he is not willing to
reflect the will of Council in accordance with his statutory and common law
obligations, and as a result, the member of Council who assumes the role of
Deputy Mayor for the month in question is the official spokesperson for Council
and for the municipal corporation for that month;

PURSUANT TO MINISTERIAL ADVISOR HENRY BRAUN’S REPORT, including his
findings and recommendations that:

“To find a way forward has been much more difficult than [Ministrerial Advisor Braun]
envisaged at the onset. [He] found that when asked a specific question, the Mayor has a
tendency to shift the focus/discussion away from the question…[the Mayor] avoids
taking responsibility for his own actions or inaction, while expressing his opinions on a
completely different topic.
(Executive Summary, at page 1);

“The Mayor has not exhibited a clear understanding of his role and its limitation – as
evidenced by interactions with Council, staff and the community.”
(Top Challenge No. 11 – Misinterpretation of Roles, at page 10);

“…the Mayor has dismissed suggestions or opinions that do not align with his views.
(Top Challenge No. 1 – Resistance to Accept Responsibility or Feedback, at page 9);

“…the Mayor demonstrated a concerning discrepancy between his private admissions
and public statements.”
(Top Challenge No. 7 – Inconsistent Statements on Receipt of Important Documents:, at page 9);

“The Mayor should be seeking the advice of staff and ask questions if he doesn’t
understand the content of emails and written communications. It does not appear that
the Mayor looks to staff or Council for advice or guidance.”
(Top Challenge No. – Understanding Written Correspondence, at page 10);

“[The Mayor should] dedicate sufficient time to comprehend written communications,
reports and official documents, which will allow well-informed decisions.
(Mayor Recommendation No. 2 – Expertise and Context – Improve Understanding of Official Documents, at page 11);

“The Mayor’s actions and statements suggest a significant underestimation of the
implications of his behaviour, including potential legal and reputational damage to the
council and the city.”
(Top Challenge No. 5 – Lack of Awareness of Potential Consequences, at page 9);

“The Mayor has made a number of public statements and allegations, particularly in
media interviews, that could be harmful and potentially legally damaging to the City.”
(Top Challenge No. 13 – Statements to the Public, at page 10);

Council directs the Deputy Mayor, as designated from month to month, to deliver letters to all levels of government, applicable governmental agencies, and applicable
community partners, including the City’s Business Improvement Associations and the
Chamber of Commerce, advising that the Mayor does not speak on behalf of Council or
the City of Kamloops and that official communications should be directed to the Deputy Mayor and Council;