LETTER – Council should act like the community’s finance committee

Posted on March 12, 2026 in Feedback, Letters // 3 Comments

City council’s first responsibility is financial stewardship. In practice, that means council should function primarily as the community’s finance committee, carefully overseeing how public money is taxed, spent, and borrowed.

The present city council of Councillors Neustaeter, Hall, Saria, O’Reilly, Middleton, Karpuk, Bepple, Bass and Hamer-Jackson have failed to carry out their duty like we pay them to do.

In Kamloops, council controls budgets, capital projects, and debt. Now the need for roughly $40 million in short-term borrowing highlights why this role matters. Borrowing can manage cash flow, but interest costs on borrowed money ultimately fall on taxpayers.

Councillors must scrutinize spending, question assumptions, and weigh long-term financial impacts. Core services like policing, fire protection, roads, and water must come before discretionary projects. They have failed to do this responsibly. Strong financial oversight protects taxpayers and ensures council focuses on its most important duty: responsible management of public money.

GARRY DAVIES

Kamloops City council

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3 Comments on LETTER – Council should act like the community’s finance committee

Bronwen Scott // March 12, 2026 at 8:50 PM // Reply

Hamer-Jackson was the only mayoral candidate who publicly stated his opposition to the tradition of rubber-stamping city admin decisions. This is probably why he’s been subjected to what amounts to constructive dismissal for his entire term in office.

Kudos to him for persevering. I haven’t always agreed with his decisions or actions but I’m sure nobody would do any better under the circumstances he’s constantly had to deal with.

Too bad the councillors, as usual, wouldn’t support his motion for a forensic audit. It seems one is badly needed.

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Pierre Filisetti // March 12, 2026 at 10:17 AM // Reply

Councils should be a lot of things except trotting behind the bureaucracy…

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Esquire // March 12, 2026 at 7:21 AM // Reply

The portion of the last council meeting to this subject came off like pure PR spin. It was more theatre than substance. What was missing was any critical analysis from council. The Hateful 8 seem to be installed as a conveyor belt with the sole purpose of rubber stamping whatever city administration brings forward then dumping the output on the community.

Council has failed the community and not lived up to the promises made on the campaign. Their platforms went out the window. A council so pliable that they act as an extension of the will of administration. That isn’t representation of constituents.

I sincerely hope that the next elected council takes seriously the task of mowing the grass at city hall because it’s grown far out of control.

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