R.M. of Sherwood councillor asked to resign says he won't step down

A councillor in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood will not be stepping down, despite a call from his colleagues to do so.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Tim Probe said he notified the R.M. on Tuesday that he will not voluntarily resign.

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A letter was sent to Probe following a Feb. 8 meeting of council. It asked the councillor to resign by the end of the month.

That would have complied with a recommendation made by the provincial ombudsman, after her investigation found Probe and a now-former councillor were in a conflict of interest in a 2016 meeting.

According to ombudsman Mary McFadyen, Probe and formercouncillorJoeRepetskishould have left the room when a January 2016 council meetingturned to the subject of recovering legal feeswhich they had incurred during an inquiryinto Sherwood land dealings.

Probe is also facing criminal charges for municipal corruption and breach of trust.

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In his statement, Probe said he will continue to refrain from attending council meetings which he agreed to in October 2016 and involving himself in R.M. business.

"[Probe] plans to return to his duly elected seat on the R.M. council, when he is vindicated," the statement said.

The R.M. can apply to get a court order to remove him from council.