MULGRAVE – Mulgrave Deputy Mayor Jane Tate says she has sought legal advice and is prepared to resign if what she describes as ongoing defamatory social media attacks against her continue.
Tate raised the issue near the end of a town council meeting in February, telling her colleagues and others present that she, her family and her character have been targeted online since she took office in November 2025.
Quoting from a recent Facebook post, Tate said she had been described as a “corrupt councillor” and rejected the allegation outright. She said she had consulted a lawyer and warned that if the attacks persisted she had a resignation letter prepared and was ready to sign it.
“I’m not going to tolerate this,” she told council, adding that the situation had taken a personal toll and was affecting her ability to serve.
Mayor Ron Chisholm voiced support for Tate during the meeting, describing the situation as part of a broader pattern of online criticism directed at council members and municipal staff. He said similar issues had surfaced over several years and that council had previously discussed how to respond.
In a subsequent interview with The Journal, Chisholm said Tate’s remarks reflected mounting frustration within council over personal attacks tied to municipal decisions and local politics. While acknowledging the limits of what council can do formally about social media commentary, he said the impact on elected officials is real.
“These are people trying to do a job for the community,” Chisholm said, adding that sustained personal criticism can make public service increasingly difficult in a small town.
Earlier in the meeting, council reviewed financial statements for the first nine months of the fiscal year, approved a transfer from reserve funds to offset unexpected legal costs and advanced a sewer charges bylaw. Members also approved changes to the town’s line of credit and received an update from the source water protection advisory committee.
