File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Victor Kaisar

Build Kamloops

Minor win for Kamloops councillor in alleged conflict of interest lawsuit

Dec 23, 2024 | 5:01 PM

KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops City Councillor has scored a minor victory in court against a group of residents that want him removed from office.

In a statement Monday (Dec. 23), Mike O’Reilly says his application to remove an 11th petitioner who joined in the effort to ask the B.C. Supreme Court to disqualify the second-term councillor “outside of the statutory timeline” was successful.

“In early November of 2024, I was alerted to a disqualification petition by 10 Kamloops voters filed in B.C. Supreme Court,” O’Reilly’s statement said. “Shortly after the initial petition was filed, an 11th petitioner was added outside of the statutory timeline. I can share that our application to remove the 11th petitioner was granted.”

“I am pleased the judge also ordered that the petitioners pay our court costs immediately.”

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Those costs are related to this portion of the lawsuit and not the entire suit which still needs to be tested in court.

“The fact that the petitioners now have to pay my court costs, I hope that that sends a little bit of a message in how strong our case is, that I am not in conflict of interest in what I’ve done regarding the arena multiplex,” O’Reilly, in an interview with CFJC Today.

The 10 residents who filed the original petition on Oct. 31 allege that O’Reilly has, or appears to have, a financial interest in the location of the recently announced four-sheet arena multiplex to be built at 2070 Hillside Drive.

The petitioners say O’Reilly and his company Comet Industries, which owns a 190-acre plot of land on Iron Mask Road, stand to benefit from the construction and operation of the arena multiplex, which will be four kilometres away by city-maintained paved roads.

They also claim that O’Reilly is in a conflict of interest because he did not recuse himself from meetings, discussions and votes on the project as Chair of the Build Kamloops Select Committee.

The lawsuit wants O’Reilly disqualified for the remainder of the current term of council, which expires in 2026. It also wants the judge to nix the current arena multiplex location and force the city to launch a new process to decide the facility’s location “in broad consultation with the wider community.”

“It’s just time, and frankly this is the process, and anything can be filled at anytime, any petitions can be done. There is just a group of people that are using it more than normal, but that is right to do that,” O’Reilly added, in his interview with CFJC Today.

“But at the end of the day, I stand firmly that I am not in conflict of interest and I never have been. And I look forward to our next day in court.”

CFJC Today has reached out to Bronwen Scott, the agent for the ten petitioners, for comment and will update this story when more is known.

– With files from Michael Reeve and Marty Hastings