The Big Water mayor vows that he will not resign the post despite a deluge of criticism he has been receiving from a group of residents who want him to quit.

They say he is self-serving, unfit to run Big Water and makes many ashamed to say they are from the 416-person, south-central Utah town nine miles north of Glen Canyon Dam on the Arizona state line.

The tongue-lashing for Marshall, elected mayor in 2001, was delivered by about 60 residents who crowded into the Town Hall on Tuesday night.

Their complaints ranged from his recent firing of the town marshal, letting packs of domestic dogs run free and portraying the town in a recent The Salt Lake Tribune article as nothing more than a refuge for polygamists and pot-smoking political mavericks who disregard the law.

"You should quit, resign, just go away," said one man, who identified himself as Rocky. "You represent only yourself, and I made a mistake of voting for you."

Clarence Trent said government under the Constitution is of, for and by the people, and that laws should be administered equally - not by the double and triple standards he accused Marshall of practicing.

"You are an embarrassment and disgrace to the town," said Trent.

Former Mayor Tonya Roseberrie also accused Marshall, who is openly gay, of giving the town a bad image.

"You have embarrassed the town by who and what you are," said Roseberrie. "You make me embarrassed to be from Big Water."

Deputy City Clerk Jennie Lassen read from a prepared statement, saying that while Marshall has made mistakes, those calling for his resignation were misinformed and are trying to circumvent the democratic process by forcing him out - instead of voting him out at the election next year.

Resident Sandy Blair read a letter - she claimed it represents a majority view of residents - asking Marshall to resign. No signatures were attached to the document.

The letter says things he said in the newspaper have sullied the town's reputation.

"We do not want to be the laughingstock in the national media," the letter stated.

It then listed several state codes the residents believe Marshall has violated and concluded with a call for his resignation.

Marshall, who does not plan to seek re-election, defended his record as mayor and listed his accomplishments. His biggest, he said, is getting the tiny town's streets paved.

"I was elected to a four-year term and I am not going to resign," Marshall told the audience. "You can try and impeach me, and maybe that's the noble way to go out. I'll also accept the publicity that would go with it."

mhavnes@sltrib.com