Following claims of bias from the mayor, a third-party investigator working for the city has found none in his own work.

According to a report released by the city, Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson made five claims of bias directly to the investigator, who made note of them and later investigated, concluding there was no bias present in his work.

He also complained publicly in June, suggesting the city hire a private investigator who is a member of the Private Investigators Association of B.C., rather than from a pool of investigators made available to the city.

Lawyer Reece Harding of Young Anderson has investigated about two dozen code of conduct complaints for the city, many concerning the mayor. Hamer-Jackson’s claims concern four complaints — three he filed and one filed against him by Coun. Dale Bass.

Harding paused the processing of those complaints while he looked into bias claims against him.

The report published by the city contains a series of emails sent by the mayor to the investigator, several of which make accusations of bias.

“If you were a third party independent unbiased investigator like an investigator from an investigation company that would have interviewed all parties involved I believe you would have a different report,” the mayor wrote in one email.

“You indicated many times that you do not want to communicate with me directly and you would prefer to deal with a lawyer to represent me. Is this not bias?” he wrote in another.

After the mayor received an information request on April 30 from Harding regarding a complaint, Hamer-Jackson told Harding to “just google the dates. Seriously, you’re not bias, are you? Who hired you? Specific person.”

Harding took the complaints seriously and on May 9, gave the mayor until May 22 to provide further information, but no further information was sent. Harding’s investigation of himself, based on case law and legal precedent, concluded there was no real or perceived disqualifying bias.

Later in June, Hamer-Jackson requested that council postpone his complaint against Bass and appoint a new investigator based on his requirements.

Despite Harding’s findings of no bias, council told the mayor they would consider his request at a closed council meeting on July 15, where he would have the opportunity to provide evidence supporting his claims.

The report notes that Hamer-Jackson did not attend the meeting, nor did he provide any written or verbal statements to support his claims.

Council concluded they could not intervene in an active investigation, but that even if they could, they would conclude Harding is not biased and that the mayor did not provide any evidence that he had been.

A summary of the investigation and its report was posted to the city’s website in September, noting a cost of $9,534.