Kamloops City Hall (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

CITY HALL DRAMA

With decision looming on suspension of Kamloops’ Acting-CAO, former Mayors weigh in on dysfunction at city hall

Mar 28, 2024 | 5:33 PM

KAMLOOPS — The fallout from the latest saga in the dysfunction at city hall has been reverberating throughout the community.

On Tuesday (March 26), Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson used his executive power to suspend Acting-CAO Byron McCorkell, in a move he called ‘necessary to change the direction of the city’. Following the move, the eight city councilors came out in support of the CAO, adding to the ever widening gap between the council and the mayor in Kamloops.

According to one former mayor of the city, healthy debate and a difference of opinion is what makes a strong democracy. In the case of city hall in Kamloops, Terry Lake feels the debate more closely resembles infighting and dysfunction.

“Politics in a democracy is a team sport, it means you have discussion, you have debate, at the end of the day you come together, you make a plan you move forward. It should not be a venue for petty tin-pot dictators like we have leading the City of Kamloops at the moment. As I said, there is nothing good that comes of this,” said Lake.

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For former mayor Mel Rothenburger, who follows the goings-on at city hall closely, he felt the latest saga has brought no surprises.

“The chances of the mayor and the eight councillors getting along with each other passed a long time ago, this unfortunately is a higher level I guess that things have been taken to. But it’s just going to continue the unhappiness at city hall and the divisiveness that is going on in the community as well,” Rothenburger told CFJC News.

With two and a half years left in the current term, Lake, who served from 2005 to 2008 as mayor can’t see a way forward with the current climate on First Avenue.

“He has this narcissistic view that he is the only one who sees the true light and the only one who knows how to put things right and all he has down is tear down, he hasn’t built anything up at all,” said Lake. “And that’s the worst part of this whole thing is it’s so destructive to people on a personal basis, but to the city as a whole.”

After formalizing the suspension of McCorkell earlier this week, Hamer-Jackson confirmed to CFJC News on Wednesday he would not be present at the Thursday meeting.

“To do something like this and then bugger off on a Vegas trip, it speaks volumes about the person involved. It’s just a shame that Kamloops citizens have to put up with so called leadership. It’s unconscionable,” said Lake.

The special meeting of council was held on Thursday (Mar. 28), chaired by Deputy Mayor Mike O’Reilly, quickly moving to a closed door gathering to discuss the suspension of McCorkell.

As of 5:00 p.m. on Thursday the meeting was still ongoing and no decision had been reached on the status of McCorkell.

The BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs, which has assigned Henry Braun to serve as the municipal advisor to Kamloops, provided a brief statement to CFJC News.

“We remain committed to the work of the municipal advisor appointed to Kamloops council and staff, facilitating improved communications, solidifying awareness of roles and providing recommendations to council that support council decision-making,” reads the statement from the Ministry. “The municipal advisor remains on track to deliver his final report, and the public will have an opportunity to view it following its presentation to Kamloops council.”