A legal notice sent to five Rideau Lakes councillors has intensified divisions after Mayor Arie Hoogenboom and Councillors Marcia Maxwell and Ron Pollard released the document publicly.
The trio say they hired Dentons Canada LLP to challenge penalties issued against them during an Oct. 6 council meeting.
The notice, delivered Nov. 21, was sent to councillors Paula Banks, Jeff Banks, Linda Carr, Sue Dunfield and Deborah Hutchings.
Hoogenboom, Maxwell and Pollard argue the sanctions were applied without proper basis and should be removed.
They also stress they are paying for the legal work themselves.
Local MPP Steve Clark also commented on the situation.
Chief Administrative Officer Shellee Fournier said the correspondence concerns the councillors as individuals rather than the municipality, noting that any response is their own decision.
Clark offered his advice.
The matter could come to council only if the five councillors request township-funded legal representation.
For now, the township maintains the dispute is a personal one between elected officials.