Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson (Image credit: CFJC Today/File photo).

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Another motion from the mayor stumbles, but wait for what’s next

Sep 13, 2023 | 5:03 AM

YOU’D THINK helping the homeless get back home would be a no-brainer but, true to form, Kamloops City council messed it up at their meeting Tuesday.

This time, all of council including Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson are the culprits. Hamer-Jackson had given notice the previous meeting of a proposal asking for a new program to provide assistance for homeless folks wanting to return to their hometowns.

Trouble is, he woke up Tuesday morning to read a Castanet story saying neither the federal nor provincial funding he’d hoped to access for his idea is any longer available.

At the council meeting, community and protective services director Byron McCorkell confirmed he’d told that to a reporter. He didn’t say whether he planned to share the information with the mayor.

Two and Out

PETERS: Whether building up or tearing down, Kamloops is what you make it

1h ago

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: How to reduce food waste in Kamloops during the festive season

8h ago

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: December 12, 2024

Dec 12, 2024

At any rate, Hamer-Jackson wanted to postpone his motion until Sept. 26 so he could study the funding issues. Which resulted in the usual round of procedural questions and points of order, so he tried to reword the motion to say “other funds or community support with donations” instead of specifying the sources.

After which came more yakking about whether that represented a “substantive” change, whether a council vote was needed to decide if a new motion was required, or if the motion must be debated right then, as is.

When it was obvious nobody was going to second postponing the motion, Hamer-Jackson jokingly said some people were betting on whether he’d get any support from councillors for his plan. That prompted Coun. Dale Bass to accuse him of disrespect and breaking the Code of Conduct.

Eventually, Hamer-Jackson was allowed to withdraw the motion. He’ll have to start over again with a new one, which will delay things further as winter approaches.

But wait. At council’s next meeting he’ll propose that paid meals for council and staff be abolished when they’re attending council and committee meetings.

Good luck. The man is a glutton for punishment.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

—

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.