Residents in Montgomery County's Patton Village are stuck in the middle of a political grudge match between the mayor, city officials and the police force.

In a contentious city council meeting Wednesday night, Mayor Pamela Munoz, who is currently awaiting trial on corruption charges, helped push through a measure to reduce the police force.

The move by the mayor has some Patton Village citizens pushing to have her removed from office.

According to Munoz, Patton Village cannot afford the current staff of 31 police officers. During Wednesday night's council meeting, Munoz and 3 council members voted to reduce the force.

On Thursday, police department supervisors met with the mayor to determine just how many officer would have to be cut. The number could be as many as eight.

"(It's) financial, strictly financial. We're going to have to do what we can do with that," said Gerald Eagleton, Assistant Chief of the Patton Village Police Department.

According to court documents, Munoz and six other city officials were indicted for allegedly using police department cars as collateral for personal loans.

Munoz is due in court this month to face nine felony charges that include theft, abuse and misapplication of fiduciary property.

A former political opponent and others with the Patton Village Improvement Committee want to remove Munoz from office now.

According to the committee, they will ask the Montgomery County Attorney to begin a removal action, claiming Munoz failed to disclose at 1979 conviction for theft when she was reelected last November.

"Because it's perjury, when you hold up your hand and swear to something and it's not true, then you've lied under oath," said Leah Tarrant, with the Patton Village Improvement Committee.

Local 2 tried to ask Mayor Munoz about those allegations, she declined to comment twice.