DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow denounced 7th Ward Alderman Mark Powell Monday and refused to meet with the councilman.

The council denied support for Powell’s request that the mayor hold monthly meetings with aldermen.

“As of eight weeks ago, I told him (Powell) to get out of my office … (or) I would have the police throw him out,” Sparrow said. “I see nothing but destructive criticism, calling members of my staff dishonorable, dishonest and liars.”

Alderman Rita Tewksbury, 4th, said, “In the 11 years I have been on the council, I have never found it hard to talk to the mayor. Of course, I did not go in there and call (him) names and give (him) fingers and so forth.”

Powell responded by saying, “It is too bad individuals have to lie to the people of DeKalb.”

Alderman William Hanna, 3rd, said, “I don’t make crank phone calls, so I have no problem getting through (to the mayor).”

Powell said although “there might be partisan differences and personal animosities, … they should not have any bearing (on whether the mayor speaks to aldermen).”

In his report, Powell’s comment, “I’d rather be a demagogue … than to be in bed with Bill (Hanna) and Rita (Tewksbury)” generated laughter throughout the chamber before Sparrow called Powell out of order for the seventh time during the meeting.

Before the meeting, Police Chief Joseph Maciejewski confirmed that aldermen have asked his advice about alleged telephone calls from Powell although no official report was filed.

Chronopoulos said before the meeting that calls from Powell “deteriorated to border-line threats. I have not filed (a complaint with the police) because I don’t think it has crossed that line.”

During the calls, she said Powell called her heartless, cruel, incompetent and stupid.

Powell said, “I’m not going to give any kind of credence to these things. (They are) partisan lies.”

DeKalb City Manager Mark Stevens said after the meeting, “I have received a number of telephone calls from Mr. Powell on a wide range of issues that often begin with a reference to city business and degenerate to other comments.”

Tewksbury said before the meeting she received about three harassing telephone calls from Powell. She said Powell made insinuations and subtle threats about exposing information that would ruin her reputation if she runs for another term of office. “I don’t know what you could possibly say,” Tewksbury said she told Powell.

Powell said, “They (the city council members and the mayor) have done abusive things to me and to the good people of DeKalb.”

DeKalb businessman John Castle testified before the council on June 27 that Powell tried to intimidate members of the city council and at least one private citizen through harassing telephone calls.