Council in Kamloops, B.C., votes to suspend committees after mayor replaced councillors with members of public
CBC
Kamloops city council has voted to pause standing committees and review how they operate after the mayor replaced councillors on the committees with members of the public.
The vote happened during a contentious meeting Tuesday that revealed further cracks between Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson and the eight councillors elected alongside him last October.
The current dispute kicked off last week when it was revealed that Hamer-Jackson named nine members of the community to the city's five standing committees, which focus on things like finance, community services and civic operations.
His changes saw the removal of several councillors from chair positions, whom Hamer-Jackson hoped to replace with his own picks — which included failed council candidates and a member of his campaign team.
At a news conference Friday, the eight Kamloops councillors denouned "the chaotic and unpredictable behaviour of our mayor that leads to confusion and misinformation," in a collective statement read by Coun. Katie Neustaeter.
Speaking to CBC on Tuesday, Hamer-Jackson said the Community Charter grants him the power to make changes to standing committees.
But local governments also have control over the exact makeup of those committees and Hamer-Jackson found himself outvoted 8-1 on multiple motions, resulting in a pause on all standing committee activity while council makes changes to its own internal rules for how committee picks are made.
Council has authority over the terms of reference for standing committees and can modify and rescind them if they so choose, Maria Mazzotta, the city's corporate officer, said during Tuesday's meeting.
Coun. Dale Bass said clarity is needed when it comes to members of the public serving on committees.
Mazzotta said council's code of conduct does not apply to public members of standing committees.
"Our expectations would be that there be respectful conduct and decorum of anyone engaging in any committee meeting," Mazzotta said. "It's not enshrined in the code of conduct."
A motion to suspend special committees was also approved.
Coun. Kelly Hall, who is acting as deputy mayor, will choose three council members for the select committee to review how standing committees operate.
Kamloops This Week reported last week that several councillors had been removed as chairs of committees and were replaced by members of the community. Among those chosen were two people who ran unsuccessfully for council, and former B.C. attorney general Bud Smith, according to the newspaper.
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