Members of Meaford council were not interested in a petition asking for a judicial inquiry into former Mayor Wally Reif's involvement with the ratepayers organization Cut Our Taxes.

The petition was an official part of council's correspondence at its regular meeting last Tuesday night. Although the petition has been submitted anonymously - it has been widely acknowledged that former councillors Sam Luckhardt and Paul Hutchinson have organized the petition.

The petition was presented to council with an accompanying resolution the petitioners wanted council to pass. No member of council was willing to sign the resolution to get it on the table at Tuesday's meeting.

Deputy Mayor Francis Richardson said he understood that the Municipality of Meaford doesn't accept anonymous correspondence.

Mayor Reif (who formally tendered his resignation later in the meeting) said former Treasurer/CAO David Free was behind the petition and he accused an unnamed member of council of feeding Free information behind the scenes.

Reif said he welcomed the petition and said he had signed it. He said he would welcome a judicial inquiry to use the information garnered as a basis for a lawsuit against his accusers.

"I'm fed up with this," said Reif.

Councillor Cynthia Lemon said it was inappropriate for municipal tax dollars to be spent on such an inquiry.

"I don't think we should use municipal money to set up on Inquiry for a basis for your lawsuit," Lemon told Reif.

Of the petition itself, Lemon said: "It's very divisive to ask council to go forward with taxpayer money to try and find a Mayor and Deputy Mayor guilty of these allegations. Why use us?" she questioned, noting that election finances were covered by the Criminal Code.

Councillor Jim McPherson said under no circumstances would he agree to municipal participation in such a matter.

"I'm not interested in frivolously spending money in this municipality on a witch hunt," he said.