IN THE RED: Being Kamloops mayor costs Reid Hamer-Jackson more than he earns

Being mayor of a small British Columbia city shouldn’t be an economic hardship for anyone, but Reid Hamer-Jackson takes home just a fraction of his salary due to sanctions while legal bills from his political battles rise.

After three years in office, Kamloops’s mayor is under water.

“My Visas are maxed, my wife’s Visa bills are maxed,” he said. “My last paycheque was like two thousand bucks.”

His typical income would be around $120,000 per year, but combined pay cuts imposed on him have reduced it to less than $30,000. Staying on as mayor has him running in the red.

“I’m not making money. I’m losing money every month,” he said, speaking to iNFOnews.ca from his home office.

The next election isn’t until October.

It’s been a largely unprecedented run to get to this point. His first pay cut came in the summer of 2024 when he was removed from the Thompson Nicola Regional District and the airport authority, two committees with extra pay. Council demanded he take courses and sign apology letters due to numerous allegations of poor workplace behaviour, bullying and harassment. They have since made further cuts to his pay.

He didn’t say when the job began to cost more than it earned him, but little has gone his way since he was elected. His car dealership has been closed since he was elected in October 2022, and was listed for sale last year.

The listing price has dropped by nearly $2 million and is currently for sale for roughly $3.6 million.

“We’re getting some action on it, but nothing solid,” Hamer-Jackson said.

He’s also listed his boat and home for sale, but neither have been sold.

Since elected, he has launched multiple lawsuits and been subject to several code of conduct investigations, leading to thousands of dollars in legal expenses. Two of his previous lawyers are chasing him for unpaid bills.

He reached a $42,000 settlement with one lawyer, while our knowledge of the other reaches $35,300. Those totals could pale in comparison to the legal bills still coming.

None of his legal pursuits were successful.

A BC judge ruled against his defamation case against Coun. Katie Neustaeter, and he could be on the hook for both his and her legal fees. They had a five-day hearing last summer in which Neustaeter argued the case should be tossed, with the judge ruling in her favour last month.

How much that may cost isn’t clear, but Hamer-Jackson said he’s still considering whether to appeal the decision.

Hamer-Jackson’s salary cut may have saved the city some cash. But then again, all those investigations into his conduct and legal fees add up. A year ago, the city pegged those costs at more than $1 million.

It’s not clear if that includes the roughly half-million spent on code of conduct investigations.

Despite it all, Hamer-Jackson said he has no intention of stepping down. Nor will he follow any of council’s directives to return to his full salary. In fact, he’s going to run again.

“I’m dedicated to be the mayor full-time. I put my business on a holding pattern,” he said.