DEFERIET — About half of the more than 50 residents at the Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday raised hands when asked if Mayor Jane W. Dingman should resign.

"I think what we need is a new mayor, and if not a new mayor right now, then we need the deputy mayor to take charge," said Robert Foster, Deferiet, who called for the show of hands.

But, in the midst of a long executive session, Trustee Joseph E. Cook resigned instead.

"I don't want to be part of a dictatorship," he said later.

Although Mr. Cook gave Mrs. Dingman credit for working hard, he believes the village is in a bad state.

"I've been on the board for four years, and I've never seen it this bad," he said.

During the executive session, the board discussed the firing of Daniel Richardson as water supervisor, a post to which he was appointed two years ago. He was fired by the mayor about three weeks ago for reasons that were not made public.

Trustees and residents questioned Mrs. Dingman's reports and interpretation of bylaws throughout the meeting.

Mrs. Dingman left the public comment period off the agenda, and originally would not amend it. Trustees Harry W. Peck, JoAnn L. Zando and Mr. Cook, however, declared that the people in attendance would be heard.

"Everybody thinks I'm hiding stuff, and I'm not," Mrs. Dingman said. "Every issue that comes up is not open for public discussion."

She and Ronald R. Palmer, former mayor, had differing views about whether the mayor has the authority to hire and fire.

"My understanding is that the village is not the mayor, it is the board," Mr. Palmer said. "The board should exercise its rights to correct the situation."

The closing of the village compost site also was a hot topic.

Trustee Peck shared the public's frustration with the closing. Mrs. Dingman said the state Department of Environmental Conservation told her the facility must be closed because people were depositing non-biodegradable garbage in it and because it is too close to the Black River.

"There's nothing in front of me from DEC stating it's closed," Mr. Peck said.

Residents wondered why, all of a sudden, the site was closed.

"A lot of people came for answers and didn't get them," said Jared C. Cook, Mr. Cook's son, who worked as Mr. Richardson's deputy assistant last summer.