The City of Kamloops will be asking the province for help as it continues to deal with “dysfunction and discord” that has plagued Mayor and Council since the election last fall.

Councillor Margot Middleton’s motion – which got unanimous approval Tuesday’s council meeting – to ask for a municipal adviser came after a meeting with Municipal Affairs Minster, Anne Kang, at last week’s Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver.

“We knew already that there is a mechanism available from the Ministry for municipalities, local governments that are struggling through some of the harmony and the good leadership and governance that is required to make our council effective,” Middleton said, on the NL Noon Report.

“They have certainly helped out other municipalities and local governments, so we didn’t think it was a big stretch for us to ask for that. They concurred that they could supply us with that help and that we are probably a municipality that is needing this.”

Earlier this year, the ministry said it would provide municipal advisers to village councils in Harrison Hot Springs and Lions Bay. Both those communities asked the province for help less than six months into their terms.

“It is no secret that we’re pretty dysfunctional right now and we’ve got a lot of issues on leadership and governance that are sending us sideways at most of our meetings,” Middleton added, noting the province provides the service to municipalities at no charge.

“So we really hope that this will give us a helping hand to see what we can do to straighten out.”