PRINCESS ANNE, Md. -- At a work session on Tuesday, Commission President Joseph Gardner was censured by his fellow commissioners. Gardner was censured for inappropriate language and disruptive behavior.
Now, this is not the first time a town commissioner has been chastised for their actions. Back in May, Commissioner Lionel Frederick was censured for a third time.
On Tuesday night, it was Frederick pointing the finger, calling for a censure based on a phone call between Frederick and Gardner that unfolded last week.
About an hour and a half into Tuesday's work session, Gardner took the floor. He said because of his high ranking position within town, he often holds himself to a higher standard.
"Because of that responsibility and that privilege to be elected as a town commissioner, and in this particular instance I failed at that," said Gardner.
He also apologized for the hostile phone call between himself and Commissioner Frederick.
"I used a few choice words that I wouldn't want my mother to hear me say, I'll leave it at that," said Gardner. "I do apologize to Mr. Frederick for that behavior and it will not happen again."
The apology was not taken well.
"I call you very politely and in a very diplomatic and professional way," said Frederick. "The words you chose to use against me were outright despicable."
Just a few minutes later, Frederick pushed for the censure. Frederick claims Gardner told him to 'clear his (expletive) out, go off on your own'.
"The public should know exactly what he said and that's exactly why the president should be censured for using that type of language," said Frederick.
Frederick's motion for a censure was followed by a heated back and forth between him and Gardner. It ended with Gardner bringing down the gavel, calling the meeting back to order.
Shortly thereafter, other commissioners did move forward with a motion to officially censure Gardner. Towards the end of Tuesday's meeting, commissioners continued to hash out possible changes to their town charter.
They hope to make changes that would allow for harsher punishments to elected officials who display inappropriate behavior. Another idea discussed was, if a commissioner is censured multiple times, that official could be suspended without pay or suspended from office all together.