As Armidale councillors face a three-month suspension, one councillor has been trying to get the opposing factions to find common ground.
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Peter Bailey, who has been a member of both camps at different stages, said he had spoken to all councillors bar one in an effort to resolve their differences, which he hoped would see the council continue without the appointment of an administrator.
"I always hope. I don't think it can, but we've got to find middle ground," Cr Bailey said, adding that there was blame on both sides among the two separate factions that have clearly emerged on the council.
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Cr Bailey said he had spoken to nine of the other 10 councillors.
Over recent months the two factions have been split on a decision to try and depose the mayor, Simon Murray, at the beginning of the year, followed by two moves to try and sack the CEO, Susan Law.
The most recent move against the CEO earlier this month saw the council take legal action to stop five councillors voting to terminate Mrs Law's contract.
"I didn't ever vote in a block," Cr Bailey said.
"That's why I got into trouble because sometimes I voted with 'the Tiley group' and at other times I'd be voting with 'the mayor's group', because I voted on issues.
"And there are a number of councillors who have done that, Cr Widders has done that, so has Cr Murat," he said.
Cr Bailey had been part of the 'Tiley group' - which included Ian Tiley, Jonathan Galletly, Debra O'Brien, Margaret O'Connor and Dorothy Robinson - when they cast a vote of no confidence in the mayor.
"I voted against the mayor staying on," he said. "But when he said 'I'm not moving', I got in behind him to try and make the balance of the period work."
Now he said he was trying to find common ground among all the councillors, who have displayed they have clear differences.
But regarding the other sticking point among the councillors, whether CEO Susan Law should stay or go, Cr Bailey was adamant she should stay.
"She got a good review at the last general manager's review," he said.
"We brought her in to do a job. We brought her in to improve the finances of the council because we were sailing fairly close to the win."
At Wednesday's council meeting, the mayor will table the letter from the Minister for Local Government and the council will discuss its response.
The council meeting will begin at 9am, after being moved forward from its scheduled 4pm start time.
