MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. – A local mayor was on the hot seat at Wednesday night’s town commission meeting.
Alison Dennington of Melbourne Beach was censured for a second time for behavior commissioners said included calling a commissioner an idiot.
Dennington is also under fire with her critics for lawsuits she’s involved in against the town she represents.
“Should I have used the word ‘idiot?’ No,” Dennington said during the meeting. “So I will do what nobody up here will do, which is apologize for my transgression. I should not have used that word. I should have been more professional. I will acknowledge that.”
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Former town commissioner Joyce Barton ran against Dennington in the 2023 mayoral election and told Melbourne Beach community correspondent James Sparvero that Dennington has cost the town more than $150,000 defending itself from her lawsuits including a code enforcement dispute over a shed Dennington wanted to put on her property.
[Video: Melbourne Beach could censure mayor for 2nd time for ‘unbecoming’ conduct]
“The main thing that is a big concern for the residents is the fact that she is suing the town,” Barton said. “It originated with the shed. Simple code violation that could have been corrected that just ballooned into conflict. The residents now are just super frustrated with the fact that this is what’s leading the town.”
The mayor did have some supporters during the May 21 commission meeting, but that did not include commissioner Robert Baldwin.
Baldwin is leading the discussion to censure the mayor Wednesday night.
“You were the first mayor to be censured,” he told Dennington in May. “You broke down and wept.”
Dennington then raised a point of order.
“Are you not supposed to not attack other commissioners,” the mayor asked. “I feel like he’s making this all about me.”
“Maybe we just need another censure,” Baldwin responded.
Barton said her reasonings for criticizing Dennington are not motivated by the results of their election.
“I would be happy to support the mayor if she were working in the best interests of the town.”