The city council of Peachtree City has cut its mayor's monthly pay from $750 to $75, sparking a heated public debate. According to The Citizen newspaper, council members reduced Mayor Don Haddix's pay to offset the nearly $10,000 the city paid an insurance company to cover his legal fees. Haddix incurred the fees while defending himself in a libel suit.

An outraged city council member told The Citizen that Haddix is responsible for the cost, but the mayor argues that the city should have paid because he made the allegedly libelous statements while acting in his official capacity. Haddix might now sue the council or resign, the Citizen reported Thursday.