Kamloops mayor vows to stay on amid calls for resignation

The mayor of Kamloops, B.C., has vowed to stay put, during a news conference that he previously indicated would include discussion of "resignation consideration" amid public spats with the rest of his city council.

Reid Hamer-Jackson told reporters Monday that he would stay on as mayor and seek re-election in the next municipal election.

Hamer-Jackson is increasingly isolated at city hall, most recently getting his pay docked 10 per cent and being removed as city spokesperson by the rest of council.

Those decisions came after the mayor refused to resign in the wake of the release of a damning report put together by a provincially appointed municipal adviser.

Prepared by former Abbotsford mayor Henry Braun, the report was critical of Hamer-Jackson's behaviour toward council and city staff, saying that the mayor has shown "a dismissive and condescending attitude towards constructive criticism or the suggestion of apologies", and that his treatment of staff may have led to an unsafe work environment.

The mayor has refused council's request he apologize for his behaviour and, in the immediate aftermath of the report, was defiant about calls to resign, saying he would continue to serve the city.

On Monday, he presented a similarly defiant figure. The mayor alluded to also running his own council candidates in the next municipal election, scheduled for 2026.

"It's frustrating having to deal with allegation after allegation and then be muffled by council when I try to set the record straight with the truth," the mayor told the news conference.

Hamer-Jackson's announcement that he would not resign was met by loud cheers from some supporters in attendance.

"I would like to see city council work with him because I know people that have known the mayor for years and, apparently, they love him," supporter Phyllis Corriveau told CBC News. "They've known him for 30, 40 years and they said he's the best thing."

Council has also prevented him from closed council meetings for a year or until he receives privacy and confidentiality training.

Political newcomer

First elected in 2022, Hamer-Jackson was a political newcomer who won the mayor's seat against several experienced municipal politicians who had previously served at the council table.

Deputy Mayor Nancy Bepple — who is taking on most of the city's official responsibilities this month as part of a rotation shared by other councillors — told CBC News on Monday that the mayor's announcement on Monday was no surprise.

"There's always people that support one person or another," Bepple said of the loud support Hamer-Jackson garnered. "But I think in terms of our goal as a council, we were united when we set out our strategic plan."

In response to questions about what Hamer-Jackson should do next, Bepple pointed to the report issued by Braun, which called on the mayor to be more open to criticism and respect confidentiality protocols.

Hamer-Jackson's original focus was on public safety, and his campaign included a promise to buy bus tickets for unhoused people who were not originally from Kamloops.

Shortly after he was elected, B.C. Housing asked Hamer-Jackson to stop dropping into shelters unannounced, saying his unplanned visits were disruptive to the work they were trying to accomplish.

Earlier this year, the mayor suspended the city's chief administrative officer in a bid to "shake things up," a decision that was criticized and reversed by council.

He has also been investigated for recording a phone call with a city staffer and has launched a defamation lawsuit against councillor Katie Neustaeter and a second against a local developer.