A City Council in eastern Kentucky has removed a member for using a racial slur during a meeting, news outlets reported.

The Salyersville City Council voted Wednesday to remove Colin Ray Jackson, who used the slur at an Oct. 18 meeting.

Mayor Pete Shepherd said he sought advice from the League of Cities and he asked Jackson to resign, but he refused.

“It was terrible. There’s just no place for that anywhere, especially in public meetings or anywhere else, in private or anywhere else,” Shepherd said.

Jackson said he did not mean to offend anyone.

“It was a slip of the tongue,” he said. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

The council voted unanimously to remove Jackson for misconduct after another councilman resigned because he did not want to vote against Jackson, the ousted councilman and the mayor said.