Credit union moves to foreclose on cash-strapped Kamloops mayor’s car dealership

The mayor of Kamloops is facing a threat of foreclosure as the bank takes him to court over an unpaid debt nearing $450,000.

According to Beem Credit Union’s petition to BC Supreme Court, the loan was meant for day-to-day business expenses at Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson’s car dealership. He’s now in default on his payments, both for the loan and his property taxes, the petition reads.

Hamer-Jackson hasn’t been served, but he wasn’t surprised when asked about the court petition.

“Like I said, I can’t pay my bills,” he said. “I’m having a hard time paying my insurance policies, utilities, phone bills. I’m fully aware I owe them that money.”

According to the credit union’s petition to the court, the $447,940 in debt is accruing $78 per day in interest and it’s asking the court to order Hamer-Jackson’s dealership property be sold.

He has already listed the property for sale, along with his home and boat, but so far has been unsuccessful in finding buyers. If sold, the proceeds would go toward his mounting debts, Hamer-Jackson said.

“It’s no secret that I’ve been put into a bad financial situation,” Hamer-Jackson said, who added the line of credit had been active for years, long before he was elected as mayor.

Along with mounting business expenses at Tru Market Truck and Auto Sales, which hasn’t operated since he was elected in 2022, he said his credit cards are “maxed” and he has missed insurance payments on his business. Those missed insurance payments mean he would have to bear the costs of damage in a rash of break-ins at Tru Market.

It’s not clear how much he has in outstanding in property taxes or whether his properties may be included in the annual tax sale.

Over his tenure as mayor, Hamer-Jackson has seen his salary gradually slashed after several internal investigations into his conduct. He has also been taken to court by two previous lawyers because of disputes over legal fees, while he might also be ordered to pay Coun. Katie Neustaeter’s legal fees after his defamation suit against her was tossed.

Hamer-Jackson said his most recent two-week paycheque was around $2,000, but iNFOnews.ca has reached out to the city for clarification on his current active salary cut.

Council’s sanctions against him, including his pay cuts, came with conditions that he sign apology letters and take various courses on provincial legislation. It appears he has not followed through with any of them and he holds firm that he won’t be signing apologies.

If he was paid his typical mayoral salary, which is more than $120,000 a year, he said he would have no issue with his payments.

“I’m not going to lower my morals or ethics. I’m not going to be signing apology letters to people that don’t deserve it,” he said. “I’m not going to apologize to people that accuse me of grabbing women on dance floors and… people that say I’m violating personal boundaries.”

He has most recently been found to have bullied city staff and broken privacy laws again in another code of conduct investigation, risking a combined 20 per cent cut to his salary.

He disputes the findings of the report, but the investigator noted he didn’t agree to an interview or respond to the accusations.

Still, he said his staunch opposition to signing letters and taking courses assigned by council signal his committment to his own political goals, despite nearing the end of a term that’s been marked by a combative relationship with both council and city staff.

“I’m still focused on getting a safer community and accountability,” he said. “I’m not going to drop my ethics.”

He hasn’t yet responded to the foreclosure petition in court.