Panama City Beach Mayor Mike Thomas spoke with WJHG/WECP after a comment he made at Thursday's budget hearing has fired some people up online.

The incident happened Thursday morning during the Panama City Beach Budget Workshop when Panama City Beach Police Chief Drew Whitman requested money for a dispatcher and four officers for the department.

"It's a horrible job. You need to hire people that aren't fat, don't smoke and aren't going to get pregnant and that way you can save us money," Thomas said during the meeting.

Since the comment, locals have had things to say. Some say they believe there was nothing wrong with what the Mayor said. Others say it was inappropriate.

Mayor Thomas told us his comment was meant as a joke. He says when you're in public office, you pay for jokes, and he says he's paying for one now.

"For people that know me, they know I was joking. People that don't like me use this as a 'gotcha' moment and for the people that I offended, I apologize," Mayor Thomas said. "But I didn't mean anything by it, every female I know in my family has been pregnant and I didn't feel bad at her for it.

I have fat people who work for me. I have people that smoke who work for me. I have black people. I have people of all kinds of foreign things. I don't mistreat anybody for any reason as long as they are nice to me," Thomas said.

We also asked the Mayor if he will be less likely to make jokes when he's in meetings in the future. He responded, "I hope not. I enjoy being me."