A councillor for the Village of Clinton appeared in Kamloops Provincial Court on June 27, facing three charges of assault and one charge of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Nicholas Kosovic, 27, is currently on leave with pay from his council position.
The three charges of assault date from June 2023, December 2023, and February 2024, while the charge of possessing a weapon for dangerous purposes dates from December 2023.
Kosovic made his first court appearance in Kamloops on June 10, 2024. On June 27 Kosovic appeared at an arraignment hearing, where a plea of guilty or not guilty would normally be entered. However, the case was adjourned until July 4, at the request of the defendant or his counsel.
In B.C., a local elected official is not compelled to resign his or her position in the event of being charged with an indictable offence. However, section 82.1.2 of the Local Government Act states that “If a person elected or appointed to office on a local government is convicted of an indictable offence, the person's office becomes vacant on the date of the conviction.”
There are currently no plans to hold a by-election in Clinton while Kosovic remains on unpaid leave: there are still three councillors and a mayor, which means there is still a quorum of council. However, if Kosovic is convicted, his council seat will be vacant, meaning a by-election would be triggered if the vacancy occurs before Jan. 1, 2026.
Kosovic, who teaches at Horse Lake Elementary School in 100 Mile House, was first elected to office in the October 2022 general election, where he garnered 211 votes and came in third in the race to fill four councillor positions in Clinton.
Originally from Vancouver, he and his wife relocated to Clinton, where he tutored high school and university students online. He was also the manager of the Clinton Museum for its 2022 season.
Prior to the 2022 election, Kosovic told the 100 Mile Free Press that he could contribute a “fresh set of ideas” to Clinton council, thanks to “an innovative mindset, along with research skills and technological literacy . . . If I am elected, I promise to maintain my commitment to the community, making my duty as a councillor my central focus and main priority.”