SALINA— Salina Mayor Karl Ryan’s use of the phrase “tar baby” during a city commission meeting is creating an outcry in his central Kansas community.

The furor stems from a June 25 meeting during which Ryan said, “Can I just be a tar baby for a minute,” during discussion about authorizing the city manager to exceed his spending authority to pay for care seized animals.

Ryan, who is white, says his mother would call him a “tar baby” when he being difficult. He says he first heard the phrase in Joel Chandler Harris’ “Uncle Remus” tales of Br’er Rabbit and Tar Baby.

But others say the term has taken a derogatory meaning and say Ryan is racially clueless.

The Citizens forum at the Salina City Commission Monday afternoon lasted nearly an hour as citizens were critical of Ryan.

The mayor apologized and said, “this has been an embarrassing incident for me.”  He also admitted he was “fully ignorant of these regards.”

City Commissioner Trent Davis, the only African-American member of the commission said he did not believe Ryan was racially motivated by his comment.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.