ROTHENBURGER – A question arises, what should Coun. Bill Sarai do now?
Mayor Hamer-Jackson and Coun. Billl Sarai.
COUN. BILL SARAI isn’t talking to the Armchair Mayor about the audio recording of a conversation with Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson but he’s been talking to Castanet about it. On the other hand, he’s not talking to InfoNews.
However, things are becoming clearer. There have been a couple of interesting posts on the issue in the past 24 hours, one from each of those two media outlets. I recommend checking out both of them if you’re looking for further insight into the mystery that has surrounded the tape.
As I wrote in a column last weekend, the conversation that was captured on the tape took place in January 2023.
That day, Sarai and Hamer-Jackson were in the mayor’s office and really got into it. Profanities were exchanged. It was loud enough that it concerned staff members in outer offices. Later the mayor was sanctioned against contact with certain staffers.
A few weeks ago, the two of them got into it again, this time via text, over whose fault the disruption was in the early 2023 incident. Sarai texted Hamer-Jackson with a note about being “forwarded” an audio tape, an excerpt from which he provided the mayor. The short clip illustrated the tone of the confrontation, which he said proved who was to blame.
Through a combination of yesterday’s Castanet article and today’s InfoNews revelations, along with odds and ends along the way, a lot of questions have now been answered.
The story by Michael Potestio in Castanet published Thursday says Sarai now acknowledges he made the recording himself, and that he released the clip of it to Hamer-Jackson in hopes it would “back him off” from what he was saying about who started the yelling.
“I’m not proud of what I did, but this person brings out the worst in everybody,” Sarai is quoted in the Castanet article as saying.
So the question of who made the tape has been answered, but the full contents of the whole recording remained under wraps. Until today.
Reporter Levi Landry filled in the gaps this morning in an article in InfoNews. It says Sarai went to Hamer-Jackson’s office in January 2023 seeking an apology for a text the mayor had sent him calling him “a snake.” InfoNews received the full content of the tape — slightly redacted — through a Freedom of Information application yesterday, according to Landry.
He goes on to surmise that Sarai “spoke to another news outlet” when he heard the file was to be released on Thursday but hasn’t responded to InfoNews’ requests for comment.
“That news outlet also did not mention iNFOnews.ca already reported in October it was Sarai recording the conversation.”
The other news outlet, of course, is Castanet. A bit of competitive rivalry going on there.
While much of the previous news coverage quoted Hamer-Jackson’s “you don’t fucking listen” comment to Sarai, the full tape presents a different picture. According to my count, Sarai out-F-bombed Hamer-Jackson 10 to two during the taped confrontation. The full version of the tape also captures Sarai’s words of disgruntlement as he exits the mayor’s office.
Since the tape was obtained through an FOI application, it’s now public information.
Some observations on this latest development:
When Sarai initially didn’t acknowledge that he made the recording, the mayor asked for a police investigation into whether his office was bugged. A waste of public dollars and valuable police time.
Sarai blames Hamer-Jackson for causing him to lose his temper. No. Sarai is in charge of his own temper, and accountable for it.
When Hamer-Jackson revealed in September 2023 that his wife had taped a conversation between him and CAO David Trawin while the mayor was driving, council put a new policy in place against recording conversations unless all parties know it’s being done. Council has not responded with similar concern to the Sarai tape.
All of this brings up a question: Should Coun. Sarai resign?
I know what my answer is.
Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
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I’m one that believes that some members of council and staff were aware that Sarai made this recording before Sarai made his admission. It will be an indicator that council/staff were previously aware if council does nothing to penalize/sanction Sarai.
How does the TNRD react now to incamera meetings. Will the TNRD staff have to collect director cell phones before incamera sessions?
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I personally would prefer to see him FIRED, take away his keys.
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This is fabulous! A nice bit of redemption for Reid and a deservedly big headache for (Bill Sarai).
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Let’s try to avoid name calling.
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Has Henry Braun had a chance to listen to the full length audio file?
How about the other 7 on council before the shameful performance on that fateful St. Patrick’s Day???
How about some coverage by Global BC on this one?
BTW, thanks, Armchair Mayor!
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No…. In fact, it was said in that report that Braun himself was NOT interested in investigating the true nature of the rift between RHJ and the rest of the Council; only that the burden was on RHJ solely to improve his behaviour, but never to resolve the drama between them.
…but now, in lieu of recent events, everyone knows that it’s Sarai being an instigator in the first place.
…which now holds in question the validity of the Braun report, and the Honchruck/Integrity Report. Both report were essentially done in a vacuum, whose sole purpose was to dig for any incriminating evidence on the RHJ to silence him.
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Time for Sarai to resign. Whose agenda does he serve anyway?
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Bill Sarai appears to have gone in with the intent to provoke Reid while secretly recording. Worse still, he released a highly edited version of the recoding in an attempt to make Reid look bad, when the unedited recoding is 95% Sarai being the instigator and continuing the argument into the halls.
I see an apparent conflict of interest from Bill if he voted against any measure of censure, repercussion or punishment for Reid, while all the while lurking in the shadows trying to do his best to set up the Mayor and attack his character from behind his back.
This man has no business representing this community. The reports that led to Reid’s censure, and council’s usurping of the Mayor’s position are completely illegitimate. Have they no shame?
Many of them called on the Mayor to resign. Let’s see if they’ll remain yellow and sit in silence or do the right thing and call for Sarai to resign.
Keep fighting Reid. This must feel like poetic justice to you right now.
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“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive” (attributed to Sir Walter Scott in 1808)
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For sure a case of I told you so…in my opinion there were enough clues the moment his face became public six years ago that he was not good. And he keep at it…giving us a mountain of clues…
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I guess we can add Sarai’s name to O’Reilly’s as wanna be mayors who’ve cancelled themselves.
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Marshall Jones’ editorial illuminates the situation even more clearly.
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Ohhh mmmmy
Ya, Sarai lost it, and yes, no one controls his temper but him.
Yes, he may have been trying to talk with someone who really doesnt have the skills to communicate effectively at the best of times … but in this type of situation, someone has to be the adult in the room, and that job, at that moment, was Sarai’s.
The entire failure there was on him.
They can both be fired.
We know that there is no recall mechanism for BC municipalities, but maybe voters can vote/poll or otherwise petition to force an election?
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Not only Sarai should permanently be removed from public office but the collective of his peers and CoK senior managers have a lot to answer for. And the credibility of the Vancouver lawyers and the retired lower mainland mayor have been severely tarnished.
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beautiful and absolutely right
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I agree, he should go
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