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 former councillor Joe Repetski should have left the room when a January 2016 council meeting turned to the subject of recovering legal fees which they had incurred during an inquiry into 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.