Although last week's Tyrone Town Council meetings was one of the shortest this year, it was not without sparks as outgoing Mayor Richard Santiago left with a bang.

One of the items on the short holiday-time agenda was the reappointment of the municipal judge. Sharon Pierce currently serves the city, but Santiago decided against making a recommendation for her reappointment.

"She's lost perspective of her position. This is a contract position that should not be involved in politics," she said.

Santiago was referring to the controversy that engulfed the town earlier this summer over the appointment of a town attorney. The mayor refused to reappoint John Mrosek after the two tangled earlier in the year. Pierce weighed in on the issue and said Santiago should reappoint Mrosek.

Councilman Ronnie Cannon questioned whether Santiago understood the town's charter which called for the mayor and council together to make reappointment selections.

Santiago fired back that he understood the charter completely and if he had presented the council a list of candidates, Pierce's name would not be on it.

The mayor said the next council could make the selection, but did offer to recommend a planning commission. Conspicuously absent from Santiago's list was current member Lynn Redwood.

The council tabled Santiago's planning commission selections and town attorney said even though the terms of the five commissioners expire Dec. 31, they would still serve until the new council appointed a commission at its first meeting in January.

At the end of the meeting, Santiago said he could not recommend Redwood for reappointment because of the town's negotiations to get a sewer system. The mayor said Redwood had a conflict of interest and the possibility is arising that she could have more conflicts.