BELHAVEN — Mayor Adam O’Neal continues to express his concerns regarding Mayor Pro Tempore Greg Satterthwaite’s involvement in Town transactions.

O’Neal first addressed the issue publicly in a May meeting, accusing officials of not giving him nor Alderman Steve Carawan the opportunity to sign checks for Town business — going straight to Satterthwaite instead.

O’Neal said he believes it is an attempt for the Belhaven Board of Aldermen to control what happens in the town and leave him out of the loop.

“The Mayor Pro Tem is continuing to due ceremonial duties of the Mayor with aid of the town manager,” O’Neal wrote in an email earlier this week. “The Mayor Pro Tem continues to think he is the Mayor.”

O’Neal hoped to discuss the matter at Monday night’s regular scheduled meeting, but only Alderman Yvonne DeRuiz was in attendance, so there was no quorum to conduct business. The meeting was adjourned within 15 minutes.

Satterthwaite denies any wrongdoing and maintains that he signs the checks because no one else wants to do so. In a May 8 meeting, Alderman Amos Wilson agreed with Satterthwaite’s statements.

“They always come to me now and … Mr. Amos because they can’t find nobody else to sign the checks,” Satterthwaite said then. “So, it’s not that we don’t want them to. They don’t want to.”

In local municipalities, it is not uncommon for the mayor pro tempore to sign checks for approved expenditures. Most municipalities require two signatures on such a payment. A town’s finance officer, manager, mayor and mayor pro tem are allowed to sign the checks. In some cases (including Belhaven), members of the town board are also designated as parties who can sign.

No plans to reschedule Monday’s meeting have been announced, so O’Neal will likely broach the subject again at the next regular meeting, slated for Aug. 14.