Whitesboro's town seal has been sparking racial controversy for decades, and Mayor Patrick O'Connor has had enough.

The seal dates to 1883, and depicts a white settler with hands apparently choking a Native American man. The seal has been called offensive and racist, despite the official story that it depicts a friendly wrestling match between Hugh White, the town's founder, and a member of the local Oneida tribe.

The seal was thrown back into the national spotlight over the summer of 2015 following national outcry over the Charleston church shooting. The shooter, Dylann Roof, was seen displaying the Confederate flag, prompting scrutiny of potentially racist symbols still used around the country.

Now, O'Connor has decided it's time to stop putting effort into defending the seal, and let the people in the town of less than 4,000 vote on the issue.

"We want to just put an end to it once and for all," O'Connor told WKTV. "Let the residents have the say about what seal they want to represent them and their home and their history."

The seal is displayed on town trucks, equipment and documents, and has been debated since the 1960s. Last summer, a petition calling for the removal of the seal picked up steam.

"It is no longer appropriate to shroud oneself in the Confederate flag, or use Native Americans as mascots," the petition read. "Businesses have stopped selling Confederate memorabilia, and the Washington Redskins have been shunned for refusing to change their distasteful name. Americans are standing up and speaking out against images and rhetoric that can be construed as hateful."

At the time, O'Connor asserted his stance that "the seal is not meant to be racist, derogatory or violent in any way, shape or form." He called it "a very accurate depiction" of a historical event, according to Mashable, but admitted that if people "looked at the seal and went with an opinion based solely on what they're looking at, I could understand why people would have concern about it."

Now, O'Connor has changed course, and while he reminded WKTV that the vote isn't legally binding, he did say that he wants to hear what people in the town really think.

"We want to hear what they feel, and what they have to say and how they want to be represented," O'Connor said.

On Monday, January 11, residents of the village will have the opportunity to choose from eight to 10 new seals for the town. Voting will take place at the village office from 6 to 9 p.m.

Watch the WKTV video report below.