Mayor Dalton Murphy of Centreville is charged with two misdemeanor charges: harassment and disorderly conduct.

"These arise out of a council meeting that was held earlier this week, where I think there were some tempers that flared and people during the political season tempers do get hot, we've just gone through an election here so it's the political season," said city attorney Mike Hobson, who is representing the mayor, and was at the council meeting that led to the charges filed by council member Linda Renn-Pierce. "The street workers were fired because the mayor said they didn't water the flowers, the baskets around town," Renn-Pierce said.

She says at the meeting, the mayor asked her if she thought the firings were racially motivated, and she said she did. "He was constantly talking about going to clan meetings and when he referred to Blacks he used the N word, and he said Have you ever heard me use the N word and I said yes I have, and he says well maybe you need a cross burned in your yard," Renn-Pierce said.

The council member who filed the original police complaint against the mayor says she considers the comments made in this chamber on Tuesday night were threatening, and she does not plan to drop the charges against the mayor. "I've filed my charges, and I plan to let it proceed through the legal system," Renn-Pierce added.

Council members say the whole issue has put the town in a bad light. "That's not the opinion, that's not the whole opinion of the city of Centreville, it's the city of Centreville is not all about that it's a good town to live in, we all get along," said council member Don Mack.

The mayor's term ends November Third.