BC councilor on unpaid leave facing three assault charges

A Clinton village councillor appeared in Kamloops provincial court on June 27, charged with three counts of assault and one count of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

Nicholas Kosovic, 27, is currently on unpaid leave as a councillor.

The three assault charges date from June 2023, December 2023 and February 2024, while the charge of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose dates from December 2023.

Kosovic made his initial appearance in Kamloops on June 10, 2024. On June 27, Kosovic appeared at a hearing where a plea of ​​guilty or not guilty would normally be entered. However, at the request of the defendant or his attorney, the case was postponed until July 4.

In BC, a local elected official is not required to resign from office if he or she is accused of a criminal offence. However, section 82.1.2 of the Local Government Act states that “If a person elected or appointed to an office in a local government is convicted of an offense, that person’s office becomes vacant on the date of conviction.”

There are currently no plans to hold a midterm election in Clinton while Kosovic is on unpaid leave: there are still three council members and a mayor, meaning there is still a quorum of the council. However, if Kosovic is convicted, his council seat will be vacant, meaning by-elections would be triggered if the vacancy occurs before January 1, 2026.

Kosovic, who teaches at Horse Lake Elementary School in 100 Mile House, was first elected in the October 2022 general election. He received 211 votes and finished third in the race to fill four councilor positions in Clinton.

Originally from Vancouver, he moved to Clinton with his wife, where he tutored high school and college students online. He also served as the manager of the Clinton Museum for the 2022 season.

Before the 2022 elections, Kosovic told the 100 miles of free press that he could bring a “fresh set of ideas” to the Clinton council, thanks to “an innovative mindset, coupled with research skills and technological literacy… If elected, I pledge to maintain my commitment to the community, and to make my duty as a council member my central focus and top priority.”