Kamloops city council has voted down a motion from Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson that would have directed staff to prepare a report on prohibiting the hiring or employment of immediate family members of council members while those officials are in office.
The notice of motion, dated Jan. 27, 2026, argued that such a policy would strengthen transparency and public trust at City Hall and address concerns about the appearance of conflicts of interest.
“Public trust in City Hall depends on transparency, fairness, and clear rules that apply equally to everyone,” the motion stated, adding that employing immediate family members of elected officials can create concerns about influence or special treatment, even when none is intended.
Hamer-Jackson also cited what he described as similar policies in other B.C. municipalities and said the timing was important given community concerns about governance and the upcoming civic election and 2026 council term.
The motion did not propose an immediate ban, but instead asked staff to report back within 60 days on how such a policy could be implemented. It specified that any policy would apply only going forward and would not affect existing city employees.
Despite those limitations, a majority of councillors said the proposal was unnecessary, potentially discriminatory, and could expose the city to legal risk.
Coun. Bill Sarai said Kamloops already follows established conflict-of-interest rules that require councillors to step away from discussions involving staffing, budgets, or human resources when a family member is employed by the city.
Sarai said she contacted municipalities referenced in the mayor’s background material and was told that preventing councillors’ family members from applying for municipal jobs could violate human rights legislation, particularly in smaller communities.
“They said it would actually be discrimination by limiting or not letting councillors’ family members apply for jobs,” Sarai said, noting that existing policies typically focus on supervision and recusal, not outright prohibition.
Coun. Kelly Hall said provincial legislation and the city’s code of conduct already address the issues raised in the motion.
“I think this notice of motion would propose potential legal risk and uncertainty that goes beyond the city’s authority,” Hall said. “For that reason, I can’t support it.”
During debate, Hamer-Jackson argued the policy would reduce risk to the corporation and raised concerns about council’s ability to reach quorum if multiple councillors had to recuse themselves due to family employment relationships.
Deputy Mayor Nancy Bepple, who chaired the meeting, repeatedly redirected discussion back to the motion and cautioned against referencing confidential or hypothetical personnel matters in public.
Coun. Katie Neustaeter strongly criticized the mayor for bringing forward the motion without consulting legal or corporate staff, saying it exposed the city to liability.
“Without waiving solicitor-client privilege, it is common knowledge that this would not be legal,” Neustaeter said. “We swore an oath to protect this corporation from liability risks, and this motion does the opposite.”
Neustaeter also argued that prohibiting family members from working for the city would unfairly restrict who could run for office in Kamloops, where the municipality is one of the region’s largest employers.
Bepple cited guidance from law firms and human rights legislation protecting family and marital status, emphasizing that employees do not lose those rights because they work for a municipality.
City corporate officer Maria Mazzotta later clarified that personnel matters are never discussed in public meetings and said provincial mechanisms exist to address rare situations where quorum cannot be achieved.
When the vote was called, Hamer-Jackson voted in favour of his motion, while the rest of council voted against it, defeating the proposal.
With the motion defeated, council will continue to rely on existing conflict-of-interest rules, provincial legislation, and the city’s code of conduct to manage situations involving family relationships and city employment.
