File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By James Peters

City Hall

City lays blame for former CAO Trawin’s departure at feet of Mayor Hamer-Jackson

Jul 31, 2025 | 3:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops says former Chief Administrative Officer David Trawin is no longer employed by the city — and blames his departure directly on the actions of Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson.

Trawin has been on leave from his job since March 2024. Byron McCorkell was named as Trawin’s successor in October 2024.

In a news release, the city says the mayor made Trawin’s employment with the city “unsustainable and untenable, and negatively or adversely impacted him on both a professional and personal level.”

Speaking to CFJC Today, Councillor Mike O’Reilly said council felt it was important to clear up Trawin’s absence.

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Springing forward, one last time

17h ago

Question of the Week

Are you going to try one of the new e-scooter or e-bike rentals around Kamloops?

Mar 09, 2026

1000 WAYS TO HEAL

1000 WAYS TO HEAL: Two Spirit People

Mar 09, 2026

“What we have seen from social media since Mr. Trawin took his leave going back to March of (2024), is a lot of people wondering and asking what is going on,” said O’Reilly. “And with council’s comittment to transperency, we wanted to provide as much information to the public as we could — and also to hear directly from Mr. Trawin, so it’s not council coming out and saying, ‘We think this is what’s happening.’ This is coming from Mr. Trawin and these are the facts as to why Mr. Trawin left.”

The release goes on to list the measures taken by the city to isolate Hamer-Jackson from staff, including implementing new protocols around interactions and communication, as well as “protocols that protect staff from certain retaliatory behaviour by the [m]ayor and allow them to disengage from abusive and disrespectful communications from him.”

“The City of Kamloops remains committed to ensuring that all individuals in its employ are treated with dignity and respect and are free from bullying and harassment and other unlawful behaviour,” states the release.

In a report to then-Municipal Affairs Minister Ravi Kahlon earlier this year, council noted 24 complaints of inappropriate workplace conduct by Hamer-Jackson that have been substantiated by independent investigations. It says the findings include bullying and harassment. Hamer-Jackson disputes the findings.

Trawin was hired as the city’s development and engineering director in 2003. He succeeded Randy Diehl as CAO in 2012.

“Legally, I can’t speak to [severance],” said O’Reilly. “But what I can say is that a third party has reimbursed the City of Kamloops a signficant amount of money for Mr. Trawin’s leave. Any employee is typically entitled to their benefits and wages through leave, and Mr. Trawin is now no longer on leave and no longer with the City of Kamloops.”