CITY COUNCIL – Bart Simpson to blame for tossing out public inquiries

Bart Simpson wasn’t registered for a public inquiry at today’s Kamloops City council meeting (June 10, 2025) but he made it into the discussion anyway.

Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson asked council to reconsider a resolution at the last meeting to scrap public inquiries from the agenda, again. Public inquiries have been an issue for councillors for quite some time because they don’t like the behaviour of some of the speakers.

So, they recently rewrote the rules after a temporary suspension, requiring anyone wanting to make a public inquiry at a council meeting to register in advance. But the same week it came into effect, someone registered under the name Al Koeholic.

Councillors didn’t find it funny, and killed public inquiries again, for possible reinstatement later after further review.

Hamer-Jackson supports the original guidelines for public inquiries, which were much less restrictive. He said at today ‘s meeting that when the issue came up at the last meeting, he hadn’t been aware of a connection between the pseudonym and The Simpsons.

Bart Simpson, it turns out, had a habit of making prank calls to Moe’s Tavern, calling himself “Al Coholic” on at least one occasion.

That makes it clear the false name given on the pre-registration for public inquiries was an innocent prank. “I just don’t know why we would cancel something because of a joke,” he said.

There was, consistent with most of the mayor’s motions, no seconder.

“Did you know about the Simpsons?” he asked Coun. Margot Middleton, author of the resolution tossing out public inquires after the Al Koeholic incident.

“That’s immaterial,” Middleton responded.

The mayor said it was actually very relevant but the matter went no further.