BELVILLE, N.C. (AP) - The mayor of a Brunswick County town quit less than a year into his second term, hours before town commissioners planned to publicly censure him.

The Star News of Wilmington reports that Mayor Jack Batson turned in his handwritten resignation Friday afternoon and did not attend the special Board of Commissioners meeting.

Batson's resignation comes a week after the board accused him of secretly negotiating with officials in Leland about a possible merger with the neighboring town. The board voted unanimously last week to oppose a merger and ordered Batson not to talk about it again.

Commissioners had planned to censure Batson, take away some of the mayor's powers and discuss a recall election. But Batson's resignation tabled that agenda.

Belville Mayor Pro Tem Mike Allen was sworn as mayor.

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