Kamloops councillor apologizes for secretly recording heated argument with mayor, then lying about it

Kamloops Coun. Bill Sarai has apologized after admitting he secretly recorded his argument with Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson in January 2023, then sent a snippet of the conversation to the mayor, suggesting someone else had recorded it.

The expletive-filled conversation is one of the catalysts for complaints filed against the mayor to the city's human resources department, which ultimately led to outside investigations and sanctions against the mayor.

The full copy of the recording was revealed through a freedom-of-information request filed by online news outlet INFOnews, which first reported on the contents of the recording, a nearly seven-minute argument between the mayor and Sarai.

It's also prompted calls for Sarai's resignation from several city taxpayers.

During a council meeting on Dec. 3, Sarai called his recording "unprofessional and unacceptable" and apologized to the mayor, other councillors and the community.

"I broke our code of conduct, and I will fully participate in any consequences deemed appropriate."

Sarai said he had realized his mental health had contributed to his actions and that he would be focusing on improving that, as well.

"Thank you," Hamer-Jackson said in response to the apology, describing the consequences of the recording as a "real whirlwind" that had increased scrutiny on his office.

The mayor told CBC News he's convinced the heated exchange recorded by Sarai last year prompted an investigation by an outside lawyer detailing four complaints filed against the mayor by city staff — including one from chief administrative officer David Trawin, who is now on personal leave, and his replacement Byron McCorkell.

The document, known as the Integrity Report, has not yet been made public, but portions were leaked to local media last year.

In May of this year, a report commissioned by the province into Kamloops city hall was publicly released.

Written by former Abbotsford mayor Henry Braun, the report was highly critical of the mayor's conduct with staff and other councillors.

In the time since, Hamer-Jackson has had his salary docked, been removed from several committees and from his position as spokesperson for the city and has been moved into a basement office separate from city staff, which he has refused to use, instead relocating to the car dealership he owns near city hall.

During Tuesday's meeting, he invited the rest of the council to reverse these actions.

But Coun. Kelly Hall said neither of the reports into the mayor's conduct nor any of the sanctions placed on the mayor were the result of Sarai's recording.

The recording also prompted the mayor to complain to RCMP that his office may have been bugged after Sarai sent him a portion of the conversation, claiming someone else had sent it to him.

A group calling themselves Kamloops Citizens United says the recording and subsequent lies from Sarai warranted a resignation.

"He needs to account for what he's done. An apology doesn't even go halfway," said spokesperson Kathrine Wunderlich.

"He's humiliated the city of Kamloops ... there's no coming back from this."

But speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sarai said he had no intention of stepping down.

"I made a mistake, and I'm man enough to own up to it, move on, and get the help I need."