The City of Penticton confirmed that Coun. James Miller provided a letter of intent to stay on despite being on indefinite mandatory leave over criminal proceedings. 

Miller has a court appearance scheduled on Jan. 7 in Sarnia, Ont. over the 11 counts he is facing, which includes seven counts of sexual interference and three counts of invitation to sexual touching alongside one count of sexual assault on a person under the age of 16 that emerged from investigations into historical allegations. 

The charges date back to a time when Miller was a youth basketball coach in Sarnia. 

Miller was initially charged in August of 2024 with two counts of sexual interference and two counts of sexual assault on a person under the age of 16 following two separate historical sexual assault investigations in Sarnia. 

In November, further charges were brought forward by the Sarnia Police Service, and he now faces 11 total counts, with seven counts of sexual interference and three counts of invitation to sexual touching alongside the sexual assault. 

None of the charges have been proven in court, and no plea has been entered yet by Miller as confirmed by the Sarnia Courthouse on Dec. 11.

The additional charges in November came after additional victims were identified by police during their ongoing investigations. 

Since his arrest in August, Miller has been on mandatory paid leave as a city councillor, and according to a story from the Okanagan Newspaper Group which employs Miller as managing editor of the Penticton Herald he has been on administrative desk duties at the paper. 

With a by-election upcoming in the spring to replace newly-elected MLA Amelia Boultbee at the council table, Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield had stated in council that he planned to ask Miller and the other councillors for their intentions for the remainder of the term. 

In a letter sent to the city, confirmed by spokesperson Shane Mills, Miller stated his intention to finish out his term. 

The remaining city councillors also confirmed their plans to finish out their respective terms, which will end with the next municipal election in October of 2026.