The City Council voted 6-2 on Thursday to rehire Bob Sweeney as city attorney, a decision greeted with outrage from a crowd of more than 100, many of whom said they were Tea Party members.

Sweeney was fired in December after serving as city attorney for 17 years. Half of the council who fired him were replaced in the April election, and the new council has been supportive of bringing Sweeney back.

Jason Connell and Bob Lindsley voted against the rehiring.

The council voted to revise the agenda to move the vote about Sweeney before public comments, which infuriated the crowd.

Opponents spoke for 45 minutes after Sweeney was sworn in. They said the council was not listening to the people it served, with some saying a recall vote should be held.

Ken Horton, a member of the Jefferson County Tea Party, called the council members cowards who were "too chicken to face their constituents."

The crowd broke out in screams and applause. Police Chief Bob Shockey had to warn the crowd to calm down, once even threatening to clear the room.