Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleKAMLOOPS, B.C. — Mike O’Reilly has been elected mayor of Kamloops after receiving 13,235 votes in the October 17, 2026 general local election. The City of Kamloops confirmed the official results on October 21. O’Reilly will formally take office with the new council at an inaugural meeting on November 2.
O’Reilly enters the mayor’s office after two consecutive terms on Kamloops City Council, serving from 2018 to 2022 and again from 2022 to 2026. His campaign’s “Kamloops First” platform centred on four themes: street disorder and homelessness, recreation and sport hosting, transportation and neighbourhood connectivity, and sustainable taxes and economic growth.
Official result and the incoming council
The City’s official results list 13,235 votes for O’Reilly. Kamloops reported 30,259 ballots cast and turnout of 35.5 per cent of eligible voters. The City’s release does not publish a final vote margin for the mayoral race, so StudioX News is not assigning one.
The eight councillors elected alongside O’Reilly are:
- Rob Bertrand — 10,931 votes
- Jesse Ritcey — 10,423 votes
- Katie Neustaeter — 10,266 votes
- Steve Bucher — 9,499 votes
- Christopher Mitra — 9,163 votes
- Margot Middleton — 8,918 votes
- Kelly Hall — 8,915 votes
- Randy Sunderman — 8,647 votes
The City says the inaugural council meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 2, at 7 p.m. at Thompson Rivers University’s Grand Hall in the Campus Activity Centre. The meeting is open to the public.
Who is Mike O’Reilly?
O’Reilly served on Kamloops council for two terms. The City’s historical council records list him among the councillors elected in 2018 and again in 2022. His campaign biography describes more than a decade of leadership work with nonprofit organizations and community groups. Those background details are candidate-supplied; his municipal service is independently documented in the City’s election and council records.
Before the mayoral campaign, O’Reilly was active in local business and civic organizations. In a 2022 candidate questionnaire published by CFJC Today, he described himself as president and CEO of Comet Industries and owner of O’Reilly Management Services, and listed volunteer and board roles with organizations including the Downtown Business Improvement Association and the MS Society.
What O’Reilly promised in his “Kamloops First” platform
1. A different approach to homelessness and street disorder
O’Reilly’s campaign proposed a “Campus of Care” model intended to centralize emergency shelter and support services. The campaign identified city-owned land on Mission Flats Road as a possible location and proposed moving Community Service Officer offices closer to the downtown core and the Tranquille business district, with a satellite presence in Valleyview.
The proposal is a campaign commitment, not an approved municipal plan. Its feasibility would depend on land-use decisions, service-provider participation, provincial funding and the incoming council’s deliberations.
2. Recreation facilities and sport hosting
O’Reilly pledged to continue the City’s Build Kamloops recreation program and protect the city’s “Tournament Capital” identity. His platform called for additional soccer fields on land secured from School District 73 in Dallas and Brocklehurst, alongside continued investment in facilities used by residents and visiting sports organizations.
3. Road connections, transit and active transportation
His transportation proposals include advancing road connections in Juniper, Aberdeen and Pineview, improving the connection between Dallas and Valleyview, and pursuing a multi-use route that would give people a safer alternative to travelling along the shoulder of the Trans-Canada Highway. The campaign also proposed smaller cycling-network improvements and a regional trail connection toward Tobiano.
4. Predictable taxes and a broader business tax base
O’Reilly campaigned on maintaining a predictable tax rate while supporting small business and economic development. His platform argued that some neighbourhoods were not contributing the same level of municipal property-tax revenue toward parks and recreation services, and proposed reviewing those arrangements. It also called for New Gold to contribute municipal taxation, with the campaign estimating that the change could reduce the tax burden on other property owners.
That proposed tax impact is the campaign’s preliminary estimate, not a City forecast or an approved policy. Any change would require legal, financial and council review.
The responsibilities ahead
Kamloops is governed by a mayor and eight councillors. The City says council sets municipal priorities and policy, approves the budget, determines service levels and sets the property-tax rate. The mayor is one vote at the council table, so O’Reilly will need support from councillors to turn campaign proposals into adopted plans and funded projects.
The 2026–2030 term will put the new council under pressure to make choices about homelessness services, recreation infrastructure, transportation links, growth and municipal finances. The first test will be how the mayor and councillors translate their campaign commitments into the City’s work plan and budget.
Related StudioX coverage: Mike O’Reilly’s Kamloops election-night result.
Sources
- City of Kamloops: Official Election Results Published, October 21, 2026
- City of Kamloops: Past Councils and historical election results
- Mike O’Reilly campaign: “Kamloops First” platform and biography
- CFJC Today: 2022 candidate profile and questionnaire
- Kamloops & District Chamber of Commerce: 2026 municipal election candidate information
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
