Kamloops council is set to debate whether to change their pay structure and, if approved, it could see the mayor’s salary reduced even further.

It would give council the power to withhold an elected official’s salary to repay outstanding debts to city hall, potentially putting Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson’s property taxes in the crosshairs.

He has had his salary cut several times over the term and, along with massive personal bank debts, he also has thousands of dollars in outstanding legal bills.

Just how much Hamer-Jackson owes the city isn’t clear, but foreclosure documents against his downtown car lot suggested his debts don’t stop at the banks.

The mayor also owes property taxes to the city.

Just how much he owes, and whether he has paid property taxes on his home, isn’t clear.

Speaking with iNFOnews.ca, he wouldn’t say when he last paid his property tax bill, nor whether his home could end up on the upcoming 2026 tax sale list.

“Anything’s possible,” Hamer-Jackson said.

A property that has two consecutive years of unpaid taxes risks going up for auction, but the property list won’t be released until next month.

The proposed changes to council’s remuneration bylaw include an increase to their travel expense limits, along with the new punitive measure for elected officials.

City councillors routinely consider changes to their remuneration, which might typically end in a pay hike. It’s not clear what prompted the new measure, which doesn’t appear to exist in other BC cities, and Hamer-Jackson’s outstanding taxes aren’t mentioned in the report.

Coun. Bill Sarai, who is deputy mayor for August, was not available when iNFOnews.ca reached out.

If approved, the change would come into effect immediately, and council could decide to vote on whether to put what would be Hamer-Jackson’s salary toward his taxes.

His income has already been cut by varying amounts for much of the term due to multiple conduct investigations, and it’s not clear whether that money has been spent or whether it could be used instead.

After several investigations found Hamer-Jackson breached conduct rules and privacy laws, along with a mediator’s report mainly pinning council’s dysfunction on him, Hamer-Jackson asserts he has done nothing wrong.

Instead, he blames city council for “making up stories” and “bullying” him.

“How would you expect someone to pay when you cut their pay by 50 per cent and took away (their regional district) salary?” he said.

City council will debate the bylaw on Aug. 11.