File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By James Peters

Kamloops City Hall

Councillor alleges Kamloops mayor broke law by not complying with FOI request; privacy commissioner investigating

Mar 10, 2026 | 7:51 PM

KAMLOOPS — A Kamloops councillor says the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) has launched a formal inquiry into allegations that Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson is refusing to comply with a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

After a bombshell motion read by Councillor Margot Middleton during its regular meeting Tuesday (March 10), council called on the mayor to comply with the request immediately by handing over copies of texts and emails to the applicant.

If he doesn’t comply, council resolved to explore compelling Hamer-Jackson to reimburse the city for staff time and legal expenses arising from the OIPC inquiry.

According to Middleton, the FOI request was received by the city in August 2025. The applicant asked for copies of Hamer-Jackson’s emails and texts from the months of June and July 2025, relating to city and mayoral business.

“Across more than 1,434 FOI requests (recorded since 2004), there has never been a recorded instance of a city staff or elected official refusing to search for and provide required records. That has now changed,” said Middleton. “Mayor Hamer-Jackson has refused to comply with his statutory obligation.”

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Middleton says in the months since that request was received, the city has asked the mayor at least 19 times to turn over the requested material – an allegation that prompted a laugh from Hamer-Jackson Tuesday.

Middleton noted council adopted a motion in September 2025 directing the mayor to hand over the records.

“The mayor continues to make excuses for why he has not provided the responsive records,” she said. “He claims to have delivered them via text to me. This is not true. I have never received any such records and the city’s [information technology] division has examined my texts and my emails, and confirmed I did not receive them.”

“This marks a new low for the city,” continued Middleton. “If he fails to [comply], I am asking council to convene a hearing to consider whether the mayor will be required to reimburse the city for all costs arising from his failure to comply with the law and whether that amount should be deducted from his pay.”

Hamer-Jackson vehemently denied the allegation that he has not complied with the FOI request.

“I’m in talks with the OIPC and I’m also in talks with… the person who wanted [the texts and emails],” said a heated Hamer-Jackson. “I’ve sent you, Councillor Middleton, I’ve sent you text messages. I’ve complied with all the FOIs that I’ve got.”

“It’s amazing the lengths that you will go to to try to get me to resign, to get me charged with something, to get me to quit, to get me disqualified – since Day One.”

CFJC Today has reached out to the OIPC to confirm the launch of the formal inquiry and will update this story with its response when one is received.

Council voted 7-1 in favour of Middleton’s motion, with only the mayor opposed.

Before hearing Middleton’s motion, Councillor Katie Neustaeter recused herself on the advice of Corporate Officer Maria Mazzotta, who had been briefed on the substance of the motion prior to Middleton bringing it forward.

Neustaeter and Hamer-Jackson are currently awaiting a hearing on whether the mayor will have to reimburse the city for the councillor’s legal costs after she successfully had the mayor’s first defamation lawsuit against her thrown out. Any decision that affects Hamer-Jackson’s finances may, by extension, impact Neustaeter’s finances. Hamer-Jackson was also asked if he wished to recuse himself but elected not to, calling Middleton’s motion “a bunch of B.S.”