CITY HALL – Hamer-Jackson must show ‘improved skills’ to get back on boards
Provincially appointed advisor Henry Braun delivers his report to City council in May. (Image: Mel Rothenburger.)
If Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson wants to get back on the TNRD and Kamloops Airport Authority boards, he’ll have to apply to City councillors in a closed meeting.
Hamer-Jackson was removed from the boards in July “due to a persistent refusal to adhere to sound municipal governance practices” as outlined in the controversial Braun report.
Council “may consider,” says a news release today (Oct. 24, 2024), reinstating him if he demonstrates, “among other things,” improvements in governance skills. The release doesn’t indicate what the “other things” might be.
Here’s the full news release:
City Council Sets Conditions for Mayor’s Potential Reinstatement to External Boards
Kamloops, BC—Kamloops City Council has determined the next steps related to Mayor Hamer-Jackson’s removal from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) Board of Directors and the Kamloops Airport Authority Society.
On July 19, 2024, in response to ongoing concerns regarding the mayor’s conduct, Council rescinded Mayor Hamer-Jackson’s appointment to the TNRD Board of Directors and his appointment as a member of the Kamloops Airport Authority Society due to a persistent refusal to adhere to sound municipal governance practices, as detailed in the April 22, 2024, report by Ministerial Advisor Henry Braun.
Council committed to reviewing the matter in three months, with the hope that Mayor Hamer-Jackson would improve his governance skills by complying with Municipal Advisor Braun’s Recommendations for Improved Governance Skills, outlined in Section 5 of his report.
Council continues to have concerns that Mayor Hamer-Jackson’s conduct is causing significant legal and reputational risk to the municipal corporation. To date, Mayor Hamer-Jackson has not demonstrated to Council that he has complied with any of Municipal Advisor Braun’s Recommendations for Improved Governance Skills.
In lieu of imposing a new deadline to review this matter, Council has determined that Mayor Hamer-Jackson may, at his discretion, apply to Council by way of notice of motion in a closed council meeting, for reinstatement as a member of the TNRD Board of Directors and/or the Kamloops Airport Authority Society at any point.
Upon receipt of an application, Council may consider, among other things, whether Mayor Hamer-Jackson has provided, to Council’s satisfaction, sufficient evidence of improvement in his governance skills by, in good faith, complying with any or all of Municipal Advisor Braun’s Recommendations for Improved Governance Skills.
Until such time as Mayor Hamer-Jackson applies to be reinstated to the TNRD Board and that application is approved by Council, Councillor Stephen Karpuk will continue to serve as a TNRD Director with three TNRD weighted votes assigned to him, and Councillor Margot Middleton will have five TNRD weighted votes assigned to her.
Council remains committed to upholding the public trust and integrity essential to effective governance and reducing the City’s exposure to unnecessary legal risk.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Wow. I’m starting to doubt whether the councillors will ever let the mayor do his job. He’s not allowed to talk to anyone in government at any level, speak as the mayor at public events, conduct his duties in city hall without interference. All the things a mayor is elected to do, the councillors are preventing.
I’d have less doubt if the councillors had provided one or two concrete examples of how the mayor is demonstrating “a persistent refusal to adhere to sound municipal governance practices.”
And since Coun. Neustaeter is the only elected official presently embroiled in legal action that is costing taxpayers, she has already demonstrated that she should be included in sanctions related to “significant legal and reputational risk to the municipal corporation.”
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I’m just here for your tears. Thank you for not disappointing me.
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Mayor Reid HJ notwithstanding, I am not sure how many engaged citizens would actually agree with the statement that council is committed to uphold “public trust and integrity” essential to effective governance.
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Being punitive, petty and vindictive wasn’t enough, now council is demanding the mayor to grovel at the knees of his elected underlings in a closed meeting, to take back his rightfully elected position as a member of the TNRD.
None of the other members of the TNRD requested these sanctions and council dares not ask TNRD members to vote on this suspension as they know it would not be supported.
A closed meeting, where a vote count would not be made public, does anyone really believe this would be anything other than a kangaroo court, a charade, a farce, a mockery of civil governance?
Do these councillors not understand the damage they are doing to our city and our reputation, both within and outside of our borders? Who among us will want to serve the position of Mayor in the future? What quality of candidate will be attracted to this position if they can be so easily neutered as the present occupier has been? What organization will be interested in investing in our city’s future considering all this chaos?
Lastly, what’s the rationale, where’s the precedent and why are they exposing us to another lawsuit? I see no benefit, only greater risk and a prolonging of being the national laughing stock.
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As far as the Mayor’s relationship with the TNRD is concerned, maybe I’m missing something but I’m a bit confused.
I recall something about the St. Patrick’s Day show of shame by the gang of 8 when those who were attending the TNRD strategic planning meeting decided it was in their own best interest to leave the meeting and put on a disgusting, immature display at City Hall. As a result of that, the citizens of Kamloops are paying the legal expenses for Councillor Neustaeter who was the audio/visual component for that sideshow.
If memory serves me right, Mayor Hamer-Jackson was the only one who maintained his attendance at the meeting.
Who should be telling whom if they are fit to serve on the TNRD?
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I am getting fed up and sick hearing about Mr. Braun’s recommendations against Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson as this was and is a BULLYING tactic by this council to get their way; I thought that Mr. Braun would of looked at the WHOLE COUNCIL and see where the animosity was coming from but what do you expect from this council. The only difference between here and Cuba in the late 50’s early 60’s is in Cuba you were shot if you didn’t tow the line. I know as a young Teenager I was in Cuba in the summer of 64.
I am sorry to say that I voted for the majority of the councilors as I thought that they would do something good for Kamloops, laugh and a half.
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