CITY COUNCIL – Demands for Sarai’s resignation gaining steam again

Demands that Coun. Bill Sarai resign are ramping up, with close to 2,000 signatures on an online petition as of this morning (Monday, June 9, 2025).

The petition, sponsored by Kamloops Citizens United, was first posted late last year when Sarai’s so-called Tapegate was revealed, in which he secretly recorded an argument with Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, then lied about who did it.

At that time, in early December, the petition was closing in on a thousand signatures when Sarai publicly apologized at a special meeting of City council.

The change.org petition has gained steam since an investigator’s report was released last week that was sternly critical of Sarai’s actions — concluding that he had breached both City council’s code of conduct and his oath of office — but recommended only a letter of reprimand as penalty. Council added a required that Sarai again publicly apologize, in writing, and take a training course in dealing respectfully with others.

A covering statement to the petition says public trust in government has been eroded, and renews a call for fully public inquiry.