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CBC
14 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
B.C. government says more oversight coming for dysfunctional municipalities
The ongoing dysfunction in the City of Kamloops has gotten so bad that the B.C. government is considering major changes to the oversight of feuding city councils across the province. "I've come to the conclusion that this type of behaviour just cannot continue to go on … it is our goal to have something in place before the next election," said Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Ravi Kahlon, responding to the latest back-and-forth accusations between Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson and the rest of city council. "The province is going to step in … so that we can ensure that local governments are serving the best interests of their people, and not having these continuously prolonged infighting situations." Since the 2022 local elections, a number of B.C. municipalities — including Kamloops, Harrison Hot Springs, Lions Bay, Sayward and Sechelt — have seen the mayor opposed by all or a majority of council, Accusations of inappropriate conduct toward staff, multiple lawsuits, mass departures of senior staff or external investigations have followed, along with code of conduct complaints and escalating legal fees to resolve the personal disputes. There is no way to recall local politicians in B.C., and there are only a few situations where mayors or councillors can be removed for legal reasons. The province removed the auditor general for municipalities in 2020, and so far has rejected the Union of B.C. Municipalities' requests to appoint a provincial integrity commissioner to resolve disputes. Kahlon said Kamloops was just one of many municipalities where dysfunction had sparked a change of heart, and implied that the strategy of hands-off dispute resolution could come to an end, though he said any legislation wouldn't take effect until local elections in October 2026. "It undermines our democracy, undermines people's belief in the work that we do to make their lives better," he said. "And it's unfortunate, but here we are and we have to take steps." Endless investigations in Kamloops Kahlon's comments to CBC News were prompted by the two latest reports into the feud between Hamer-Jackson and the rest of city hall. A February report to Kahlon from city council, which was made public this week, outlined code of conduct breaches, privacy breaches, investigations and lawsuits that have consumed much of city hall business and cost the city more than $1 million in legal fees. "This untenable situation has highlighted the limited ability of current legislation to address such scenarios, leaving municipalities with insufficient tools to protect their operations, staff, and taxpayers from the harmful and expensive actions of one rogue elected official," the letter argued. The second report, which was released last week, concerned Kamloops Coun. Bill Sarai secretly recording a heated argument with Hamer-Jackson in January 2023 and denying being the source of it after it became public. The investigation by legal firm Young Anderson found Sarai had breached council's code of conduct and his own oath of office. The report recommended council reprimand Sarai, but didn't endorse censuring or lowering his pay, and criticized Hamer-Jackson for not taking part in the investigation. A council meeting on Tuesday afternoon will consider the report. "We actually asked Mayor Hamer-Jackson to do very similar things, including a letter of apology, workplace training. He refused to do so … and that's going to be no different from Coun. Sarai," said deputy mayor Mike O'Reilly. "We are very hopeful that Coun. Sarai will listen to what the will of council is and will provide that letter of apology and take the training needed." Mayor says it's political deflection In an interview, Hamer-Jackson denied any issues with his leadership style, called multiple councillors liars, and maintained that he is the victim of a witch hunt. "The bottom line is they didn't want me to be the mayor, and they don't believe in the democratic process. And like I said, this is just another deflection," he said. "I got staff ... saying, 'Keep going, Mr. Mayor, keep going.' And the general consensus is they want to get rid of the councillors." Because of the province's timeline for action, the City of Kamloops will have to resolve its own disputes until next year's local elections, including an ongoing lawsuit by Hamer-Jackson against a fellow councillor, and another by the mayor's former lawyers to get him to pay his legal bills. But Kahlon made clear what he thought about the fighting and the legal bills. "I'm hoping that we can resolve these issues, but those are dollars that could have gone to infrastructure. Those are dollars that could have gone to important community services," he said.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Metro Vancouver area councillors urge more B.C. oversight of municipal spending
Richmond councillor and former B.C. MLA Kash Heed in a file photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck VICTORIA — Four Metro Vancouver area councillors have launched a petition asking the British Columbia government for closer oversight of municipal spending in the province, amid a police investigation into alleged misuse of a city hall gift card program. Richmond's Kash Heed, Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas from New Westminster and Burnaby's Richard Lee say in an open letter to Premier David Eby that the province needs to either reinstate a specific office to oversee municipal spending or expand the auditor general's mandate to cover it. The councillors cite media reports that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on gift cards in Richmond, B.C., with little oversight, as well as multiple instances of 'questionable expenditures' at the Metro Vancouver Regional District. Richmond RCMP says its serious crime section has opened an investigation into the gift card case reported by Global News, which says Richmond spent more than $400,000 on the cards in three years. The premier's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter. The councillors have also launched an online petition on the issue, asking for public comment on what they would like to see from the province in terms of municipal spending oversight. 'Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident,' the letter says about the Richmond gift card case. 'Over the past year, Metro Vancouver has also faced public scrutiny over questionable expenditures, including lavish business-class travel, unnecessary sponsorships, and other spending that appears disconnected from the priorities of local taxpayers.' The letter also criticizes cost overruns and delays at the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant as another example of the need for provincial oversight of municipal spending. 'These examples reflect a broader systemic issue: the absence of consistent, independent financial oversight at the municipal and regional levels,' the letter says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2025.
