APOPKA, Fla. — Apopka city commissioners voted Wednesday to censure Mayor Bryan Nelson.

The motion passed three to one, with Nelson being the lone dissenter. One commissioner was not present to vote.

The censure stems from how the mayor handled the departure of former City Attorney Michael Rodriguez.

Commissioners say they were under the impression Rodriguez was not employed while he still was.

The censure has no legal effect on the mayor, and is just a political statement of disapproval by commissioners.

The meeting quickly devolved into a shouting match, with one commissioner referring to it as a "circus."

Commissioner Kyle Becker, in his statement, addressed the heart of the matter, accusing the mayor of dishonesty regarding the employment status of the city attorney.

“June 7th, you said our attorney was not employed, and June 21st you said he was. You lied to this council and here you are, trying to mask it,” said Commissioner Becker.

Last month, Mayor Nelson sat down with Spectrum News' Maria Serrano, where he acknowledged that he could have communicated better about the situation with Attorney Michael Rodriguez and his payroll status.