The mayor of a small Alabama town and one of his most vocal critics normally square off at city council meetings where each recites a litany of complaints about the other.

While Tarrant Mayor Wayman Newton and activists Chuck Winborn for years have used the public space for their political brawl, they have never sat down at the same table.

That might change soon. While not the Camp David Peace Accords or the Yalta Conference, talk of a ‘lunch summit’ between the Tarrant political rivals raised eyebrows when it was proposed during the council meeting this week.

“I’ve been talking to people all over the city. They keep asking me about you. ‘What is it about you and Chuck,’” Newton said after Winborn completed his familiar complaints about the mayor. “’He’s never particularly cared for me, and I don’t particularly care for him,’”’

Winborn interjected.

“I agree.”

But instead of the usual retort, Newton then invited Winborn to lunch, albeit not a totally private gathering.

“The only thing that I ask is that it’s live streamed,” Newton said. “That way you can’t say one thing and I can’t say something (else).”

The mayor frequently calls Winborn a racist while Winborn describes the mayor as disrespectful and vindictive.

“The mayor wants to make statements about my heritage and that I’ve done my genealogy. I’m not ashamed of that,” he said. I’m not ashamed of anything that I’ve said.”

Winborn was even arrested in April after posting police footage on his social media page. The criminal charge of defamation was soon dropped. Winborn called it an attempt to silence his activism.

That incident was one in a series of political battles that have resulted in arrests, civil and criminal cases involving citizens and elected leaders.

The town of 6,000 is bitterly divided politically and the mayor and council spar regularly. Citizens voice their disapproval during council meetings. Tarrant is just northeast of Birmingham.

Winborn is a member of the city’s crime commission and is supporter of police chief Wendell Major, another nemesis of the mayor. He also supports Councilwoman Traci Threadford, who is running against Newton. Both Major and Threadford are black while Winborn is white.

“I don’t care what the mayor’s supporters think about me, Winborn said. “It makes no difference to me.”

Winborn continued to press his issues against the mayor Monday evening.

“Everything that I’ve said at that podium concerning you can be backed up by these people right here or on video,” he said.

Newton said issues between the two men could be talked about during their summit.

“You just let me know the day and the time that works for me and it’s lunch on me,” he said.

Winborn agreed and then offered his own terms. He will meet but only with a third-party witness.

“You can bring one of your friends,” Newton said. “You pick a date and time, and I will pay for your lunch. I’m not paying for their lunch.”