File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today / Adam Donnelly)

By James Peters

Kamloops Council

Taxpayer cost to investigate Kamloops council Code of Conduct complaints nearing $100k

Feb 11, 2024 | 10:46 AM

KAMLOOPS — A Code of Conduct for Kamloops council, newly adopted in April 2023, is already getting a workout — and a costly one, at that.

A document provided to CFJC Today, updated to February 7, summarizes 17 complaints lodged by council members, City of Kamloops staff or members of the public.

Seven of the 17 complaints have been investigated by personnel retained by CAO David Trawin under the bylaw, with reports not yet complete for the remaining 10.

Of the seven investigated complaints, two were brought forward by Councillor Katie Neustaeter against Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson. Neustaeter alleges Hamer-Jackson made statements to the public that he knew, or ought to have known, were misleading. The investigator found Hamer-Jackson’s arguments to the contrary were not supported by evidence, and thus he was in breach of the Code of Conduct.

Neustaeter’s second complaint, that Hamer-Jackson discriminated against her on the basis of gender, age and physical appearance through statements made by his lawyer, David McMillan, was dismissed. The investigator found the mayor cannot be held responsible for the actions of his lawyer.

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Four of the complaints were brought forward by a single member of the public. CFJC Today has learned that member of the public was former Kamloops councillor Denis Walsh.

Two of Walsh’s complaints, alleging bullying and harassment on the part of council members, were dismissed. A third complaint, alleging Neustaeter gave a misleading answer to a member of the public, was also dismissed.

Walsh’s fourth complaint alleged Councillor Bill Sarai bullied and harassed another member of council “about a matter in which he had a conflict of interest.” The investigator determined there was a ‘trivial’ Code of Conduct breach by Sarai due to “an error in judgment made in good faith,” and ‘strongly recommended’ no action against Sarai.

The seventh investigated complaint, made by members of the public and alleging a councillor misled the public by making a false accusation, was also dismissed.

The total cost of investigating all 17 Code of Conduct complaints has now reached $93,033.97. Of that total, $66,411.46, or 71 per cent, was devoted to investigating Walsh’s four complaints.

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